Frustrated by her quarterfinal loss to qualifier at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea made an immediate decision that it was time to go after 20 years on the WTA Tour. The Romanian had planned for 2026 to be her final season and decided to follow through with that plan after the big upset.
Cirstea suffered a 6-2 6-3 defeat to world No. 136 Alexandra Shubladze of Russia, making the upset even more surprising given that she was the top seed in Hong Kong. It was her first time occupying that position at a Tour-level event since Cluj-Napoca in 2023, while Shubladze was making her first appearance in a WTA 250 main draw.
Having said 2026 would be her last season, Cirstea “started to have doubts about retirement” after an exceptionally successful year that saw her reach a career-high ranking of No. 15 in September, which she still holds. Moreover, she recorded a career-best 40 match wins in 2026, surpassing her previous record of 32 victories, set in 2013.
However, a disappointing Asian swing appears to have taken a toll on her motivation, leaving Cirstea feeling drained and prompting her to end her tennis career. Speaking to the South China Morning Post, the Romanian said:
“But with the way the things finished here in Asia [where she also lost early in Wuhan, Ningbo and Tokyo], I think the decision is quite clear. I was out of batteries, I didn’t have anything, and it’s been a long year. I need to take a break to process everything, then the final announcement will probably come in a couple of weeks.“
