Sorana Cirstea confirms retirement after Hong Kong Open exit
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Romanian tennis veteran Sorana Cirstea confirmed her retirement on Friday after being eliminated from the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open by qualifier Alexandra Shubladze. The shell-shocked No 1 seed was blown away 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 27 minutes at Victoria Park. Having said 2026 would be her final season, Cirstea told the South China Morning Post that while she had doubts after reaching the US Open second week in September, recent early exits in Wuhan, Ningbo and Tokyo clarified her decision. She plans to make a final announcement in a couple of weeks after processing everything.
Key Points
- Sorana Cirstea was defeated 6-2, 6-3 by qualifier Alexandra Shubladze at Victoria Park on Friday, confirming her retirement from tennis
- The Romanian reached a career-high world No 15 ranking and reached the US Open second week in September before doubts emerged about retirement
- Cirstea lost early in four consecutive Asian tournaments: Wuhan, Ningbo, Tokyo and Hong Kong, saying she was "out of batteries"
- Shubladze, playing her first main WTA 250 draw after recovering from an ACL tear two years ago, called the victory a "childhood dream"
- Shubladze will face American Claire Liu in Saturday's semi-final after Liu beat Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez 6-1, 6-4
Why It Matters
Cirstea's departure marks the end of a distinguished career that included six titles in 2024 alone, and her decision to retire in Hong Kong adds a poignant chapter to the WTA 250 event's history as the tournament continues through the weekend .
Cirstea's departure marks the end of a distinguished career that included six titles in 2024 alone, and her decision to retire in Hong Kong adds a poignant chapter to the WTA 250 event's history as the tournament continues through the weekend .