A Romanian tennis veteran showed that age is just a number Sunday when Sorana Cirstea defeated China’s Wang Xinyu 6-3 7-6(4) at the French Open, securing her spot in the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years.
At 36 years old and planning to retire when this season ends, Cirstea has now reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal just three times throughout her entire career.
This marks her first quarterfinal appearance in Paris since 2009, creating the longest span between first and second quarterfinal appearances in women’s singles during the Open Era.
“I always thought there is no expiry date for ambition and for dreams. I have so much passion for this sport,” Cirstea commented following her win.
“I absolutely love tennis and to be able to still play at this level – have my family, my team, the closest people watching me – it’s an absolute joy.
“I think sometimes society puts us in certain groups because of the age. But I think in life, you are free to do whatever you want and I want to play. And here I am, thank you everyone for all the support.”
The veteran player recognized an opportunity for success, noting that the tournament’s bottom half lacks any Grand Slam finalists following several surprising eliminations, including four-time champion Iga Swiatek’s departure earlier Sunday.
Cirstea has been performing at peak level after setting a record earlier this month as the oldest player to enter the top 20 rankings.
During the clay court season, she advanced to two semifinal rounds and delivered an upset victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Rome.
The Romanian also established another Open Era milestone by becoming the oldest competitor to achieve a 6-0 6-0 victory in Grand Slam main draw play during her third-round match against Solana Sierra.
In Sunday’s match against Wang, Cirstea controlled the first set from early on, securing two service breaks to build a commanding 5-1 advantage.
Leading 5-2 in the second set and approaching victory, Cirstea watched Wang mount a comeback that pushed the set to a tiebreaker, where the Romanian regained momentum to close out the 84-minute match before the competitors shared an embrace at the net.
“I think the older I got, the less pressure I put on myself. I’m trying to just play the points, not play the score and this is what’s helping me,” Cirstea explained.
“I think I’m a very complete player. I can attack, I can defend, I’m way calmer on the court and I’m also enjoying (myself).
“At the end of the day, we all have a passion and my passion is tennis. I’m just so grateful for everything that’s happening.”
Cirstea’s quarterfinal opponent will be determined by the outcome of the match between eighth seed Mirra Andreeva and Jil Teichmann.
