Romanian star Cirstea will retire from tennis after the 2026 season.

Recently, Romanian star Cirstea announced on her personal social media that the 2026 season will be her final year competing on the WTA Tour. The 35-year-old player will conclude her tennis career in her twentieth professional season.

Photo of Cirstea

Cirstea wrote: “I love tennis; I love the discipline it demands, the daily training, and relentless effort. The competition on court and the adrenaline rush fuel my soul, but like all things in life, this journey will eventually come to an end.”

“I never imagined I would compete for so long, but the past few years have been the happiest of my career and kept me going. Nonetheless, I have decided that 2026 will be my final year on the tour.”

Now 35, Cirstea has long struggled with plantar fasciitis and returned to the court in 2025 after surgery. This season, she won her third WTA singles title at the WTA250 Cleveland event, reached the quarterfinals at the WTA1000 Dubai tournament, the round of 16 at the WTA1000 Cincinnati event, finished the year ranked No.43 in singles, and won the WTA1000 Madrid doubles title partnering with Kalinskaya.

Throughout nearly two decades of her career, Cirstea has been a formidable presence on the WTA Tour, finishing in the year-end top 100 every year since 2008 except 2015. At the 2009 French Open, the 19-year-old unseeded player reached the singles quarterfinals, marking a major breakthrough. In 2023, at age 33, she again reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam at the US Open. Additionally, she reached the final of the 2013 WTA1000 Toronto event, where she defeated Chinese star Li Na in the semifinals. Her career-high ranking was No.21 between 2013 and 2014. Against Chinese players, her head-to-head record stands at 13 wins and 19 losses. In 2025, she defeated Yuan Yue in Cincinnati but lost to Zhang Shuai in the second round of the Wuhan Open.

“When you love something so deeply, saying goodbye is never easy,” Cirstea admitted. “But this moment is not a farewell, it’s more like ‘see you again.’ I still have many areas to improve and unfinished goals and ambitions. I hope to achieve some of them next year and finish this wonderful career in a way that is fulfilling and dignified.”

(Text and editing: Dato; Photo: Visual China)