Sorana Cirstea’s farewell season had taken an unexpected turn in recent months. A career-best ranking, major victories, and a strong Grand Slam campaign had given the Romanian reasons to reconsider her retirement plans. But after a painful defeat in Hong Kong, the 36-year-old appears ready to bring her 20-year professional journey to an end.
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Cirstea suffered a 6-2, 6-3 defeat against Russia’s Alexandra Shubladze in the quarterfinals of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on Friday. The Romanian entered the tournament as the top seed, but the world No. 136 produced a commanding performance to reach the semifinals. The upset also appears to have settled a question Cirstea had been wrestling with throughout the season.
After the match, Cirstea admitted that her impressive results had made retirement a difficult decision. She reached a career-high world No. 15 ranking in September and advanced to the second week of the US Open, which made her consider extending her career beyond 2026.
However, her struggles during the Asian swing changed her perspective.
“Given how things ended here in Asia, with several early losses [Wuhan, Ningbo and Tokyo], I think the decision is pretty clear,” Cirstea said (via Tennis Temple). “I was running on empty; I had no energy left. It’s been a long year. I need to step back and process all of this before making a final announcement, which should come in a few weeks.”
Cirstea had announced in Dec. 2025 that 2026 would be her final season on the WTA Tour. The decision followed nearly two decades in professional tennis.
The Romanian also enjoyed one of the biggest victories of her career at the Italian Open in May. She defeated then-world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and became the oldest woman in the Open Era to defeat a reigning world No. 1. Cirstea also reached the semifinals in Rome, giving fans more reasons to hope she might continue competing.
She had acknowledged the growing pressure to reconsider retirement during the Italian Open. “Everyone has been asking me, like, ‘You cannot retire, you cannot retire!’” she said at the time.
“But we will see what I can achieve this year and again, even if this is my last year. I still have a lot of goals and things to improve, and I go every day on the court with a plan.”
That determination helped her reach the best ranking of her career. Yet the demanding final stretch of the season appears to have taken its toll. Cirstea now plans to step away from tennis, take time to process the experience, and make a final announcement in the coming weeks.
Her defeat also gave Shubladze a memorable breakthrough. The Russian qualifier had never faced a top-20 opponent before the Hong Kong quarterfinal and needed just one hour and 27 minutes to beat the top seed. She saved seven of eight break points and won 74% of her second-serve points, compared to Cirstea’s 22%. The victory sent her into the semifinals of a WTA 250 main draw for the first time.
But Cirstea was not sour about the loss.
“All credit to her; she really played very, very well,” Cirstea said about Shubladze. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able today to find solutions; I wasn’t able to play deep enough to hurt her, and the game was not really there.”
For now, the tennis world awaits Cirstea’s final announcement. Her Hong Kong defeat may have ended her final tournament, but the Romanian wants a little time before officially confirming the end of a career that lasted 20 years.
Sorana Cirstea Defends Mirra Andreeva Amid Jessica Pegula’s Hot-Mic Controversy
Cirstea also addressed the controversy surrounding Mirra Andreeva after Jessica Pegula’s private comments about the 19-year-old Russian were accidentally broadcast during a practice session. Pegula was heard describing Andreeva as a “diva” who “needs to be humbled,” sparking discussion across the tennis community.
Cirstea, who shares a friendly relationship with Andreeva, offered a very different assessment of the young star. Speaking to the South China Morning Post, she made her admiration clear.
“I absolutely love Mirra, and I think she’s amazing for the sport. She’s a great player, and she has a great personality. I get along so well with her and … every time she plays I’m really, really cheering for her,” Cirstea said.
The Romanian also praised Andreeva’s character and the people around her, describing the teenager as a wonderful person with a positive influence on tennis. Cirstea and Andreeva faced each other twice in 2026, with the Russian winning both encounters at Linz and the French Open.