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Sorana Cîrstea
Singles
Cîrstea at the 2025 Transylvania Open
Country (sports)	Romania
Residence	Târgoviște, Romania
Born	(1990-04-07) 7 April 1990 (age 35) Bucharest, Romania
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro	2006
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Albert Costa (2024–)
Prize money	US $10,247,871
Career record	550–426
Career titles	2
Highest ranking	No. 21 (12 August 2013)
Current ranking	No. 168 (30 June 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	4R (2017, 2022)
French Open	QF (2009)
Wimbledon	3R (2009, 2012, 2017, 2021, 2023)
US Open	QF (2023)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	1R (2008, 2012)
Doubles
Career record	157–127
Career titles	6
Highest ranking	No. 35 (9 March 2009)
Current ranking	No. 76 (30 June 2025)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	3R (2018)
French Open	3R (2008, 2018)
Wimbledon	QF (2025)
US Open	3R (2009, 2017)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	1R (2012)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	15–12 (55.56%)

Sorana Mihaela Cîrstea (born on April 7, 1990) is a professional tennis player from Romania. She reached her highest singles ranking of world No. 21 on August 12, 2013. In doubles, her best ranking was No. 35, achieved on March 9, 2009. On the WTA Tour, she has won two singles titles and six doubles titles.

Some of Cîrstea's biggest achievements include reaching the final at the 2013 Rogers Cup. She also won the 2025 Madrid Open doubles title with her partner Anna Kalinskaya.

About Sorana Cîrstea

Early Life and Family

Sorana Cîrstea was born in Bucharest, Romania. Her parents are Mihai and Liliana. She lives in Târgoviște, which is her parents' hometown. Sorana has a younger brother named Mihnea. Her mother introduced her to tennis when she was just four years old. Sorana's father owns an ice cream factory in Târgoviște. She has said that famous tennis players Steffi Graf and Roger Federer are her heroes.

Turning Professional

Sorana Cîrstea was a top-ten junior player before she became a professional. She reached a high ranking of No. 6 in 2006. She won the 2005 German Junior Open and was a finalist in other big junior tournaments. Sorana became a professional tennis player in 2006. By the end of that year, she was ranked No. 353 in the world.

Sorana's Tennis Journey

First Big Wins (2007–2008)

In April 2007, Sorana reached her first WTA Tour final at the Budapest Grand Prix. She was the first Romanian woman to reach a WTA final in seven years. In October 2008, Cîrstea won her first WTA singles title in Tashkent. She also won her first two WTA doubles titles that year. By the end of 2008, at just 18 years old, she was ranked No. 36 in singles and was the top Romanian player.

Grand Slam Breakthrough (2009)

Cîrstea at the 2009 French Open

The year 2009 was a big one for Sorana at the French Open. She made it to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. Along the way, she defeated the 21st seed and then the 10th seed. She also had a thrilling win over the fifth-seeded Jelena Janković in a long three-set match. This amazing run helped her reach a career-high ranking of No. 23 later that year.

Ups and Downs (2010–2012)

After her big year in 2009, Sorana faced some challenges in 2010. She worked hard to improve her game. In 2011, she started to climb back up the rankings, re-entering the top 60. She won a $100,000 tournament in France. In 2012, she continued to improve, reaching the semifinals of the Pattaya Open. She also had a big win over sixth seed Samantha Stosur at the Australian Open. By the end of 2012, she was close to the top 30.

Reaching Her Peak (2013)

Cîrstea at the 2013 Indian Wells Open

In 2013, Sorana Cîrstea had one of her best years. She reached her first WTA Premier 5 final at the Canadian Open. On her way to the final, she beat two former world No. 1 players, Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Janković. She also defeated Grand Slam champions Petra Kvitová and Li Na. She lost to the top-seeded Serena Williams in the final. This great performance helped her reach her career-best ranking of world No. 21 on August 12, 2013.

Dealing with Injuries (2014–2015)

Cîrstea at the 2014 Madrid Open

The year 2014 brought some challenges for Sorana as she dealt with injuries, especially to her shoulder. Despite this, she played an important role in the 2014 Fed Cup World Group II Play-offs, helping Romania win and move up in the competition. In 2015, her ranking dropped outside the top 100 for the first time in years due to ongoing injury issues. She worked hard to recover and get back to her best.

Comeback and Strong Performances (2016–2022)

Cîrstea at the 2015 US Open Qualifying

In 2016, Sorana began her comeback. She won an ITF tournament in Brazil, her first title in almost four years. She also reached the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open, a big WTA Premier Mandatory event. In 2017, she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time. She also had a great run at the China Open, beating a top-ten player.

Cîrstea at the 2017 Eastbourne International

In 2018 and 2019, Sorana continued to work hard, facing tough matches. In 2019, she reached the third round of the US Open for the first time in ten years. In 2020, she again reached the third round of the US Open, defeating a top-ten player. She also won another ITF title in Dubai.

In 2021, Sorana had a fantastic year. She won her second WTA singles title at the İstanbul Cup without losing a single set. She also reached the fourth round of the French Open. She had impressive wins over top players like Petra Kvitová and Victoria Azarenka. In 2022, she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the Indian Wells Open.

Recent Success (2023–2025)

Cîrstea at the 2023 US Open

In 2023, Sorana Cîrstea had another incredible year. She reached her first WTA 1000 semifinal since 2013 at the Miami Open. During this tournament, she defeated world No. 2, Aryna Sabalenka, which was her biggest win ever. She also won the first-ever Catalonia Open title. At the US Open, she reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the second time in her career, fourteen years after her first. She beat former Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina and Belinda Bencic on her way.

In 2024, Sorana continued her strong play, reaching the semifinals of the Dubai Championships, saving six match points in one match! In 2025, she achieved a major milestone by winning her first WTA 1000 doubles title at the Madrid Open with her partner Anna Kalinskaya. They also reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in doubles.

How Sorana Plays Tennis

Cîrstea playing a volley

Sorana Cîrstea is known for her powerful and aggressive style of play. She hits the ball very hard and flat, especially from the back of the court. Her backhand is very strong and often helps her win points. Her forehand is also powerful, allowing her to hit many winners.

Sorana is also good at hitting the ball with sharp angles, which makes it hard for her opponents to reach. She moves well around the court, covering a lot of ground. As a doubles player, she is excellent at the net, hitting strong volleys. Her first serve is very fast, reaching speeds of up to 109 miles per hour (175 km/h). This helps her start points strongly.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Results

**Key**
W	F	SF	QF	#R	RR	Q#	A	P	Z#	PO	G	F-S	SF-B	NMS	NH

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (F-S) silver or (SF-B) bronze Olympic medal; a (NMS) downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Singles

Tournament	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	SR	W–L
Australian Open	A	1R	1R	2R	2R	3R	3R	1R	1R	A	4R	2R	1R	2R	3R	4R	1R	1R	1R	0 / 17	16–17
French Open	A	2R	QF	1R	3R	1R	3R	3R	Q3	1R	2R	1R	2R	1R	4R	2R	1R	1R	A	0 / 16	17–16
Wimbledon	Q2	2R	3R	1R	1R	3R	2R	1R	Q2	1R	3R	2R	1R	NH	3R	2R	3R	1R	1R	0 / 16	14–16
US Open	Q1	2R	3R	1R	1R	2R	2R	2R	Q3	1R	2R	2R	3R	3R	2R	2R	QF	A		0 / 15	18–15
Win–loss	0–0	3–4	8–4	1–4	3–4	5–4	6–4	3–4	0–1	0–3	7–4	3–4	3–4	3–3	8–4	6–4	6–4	0–3	0–2	0 / 64	65–64

Doubles

Tournament	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	SR	W–L
Australian Open	A	2R	1R	2R	1R	1R	1R	1R	3R	2R	A	A	0 / 9	5–9
French Open	3R	1R	1R	1R	1R	2R	1R	1R	3R	A	A	A	0 / 9	5–9
Wimbledon	2R	2R	A	3R	1R	1R	A	A	1R	2R	NH	A	0 / 7	5–7
US Open	2R	3R	2R	2R	1R	1R	2R	3R	1R	A	A	A	0 / 9	8–9
Win–loss	4–3	4–4	1–3	4–4	0–4	1–4	1–3	2–3	4–4	2–2	0–0	0–1	0 / 34	23–34

WTA 1000 Tournaments

Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2013	Canadian Open	Hard	Serena Williams	2–6, 0–6

Doubles: 1 (1 title)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	2025	Madrid Open	Clay	Anna Kalinskaya	Veronika Kudermetova Elise Mertens	6–7^(10–12), 6–2, [12–10]