Sorana Cirstea stunned Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the third round at rome tennis open 2026 on Saturday, rallying from a set and a break down to reach the fourth round. The 36-year-old Romanian turned a one-sided start into the biggest win of her final WTA Tour season, and it sent the World No. 1 out before the quarterfinals.
Cirstea Finds Her Level
Cirstea trailed 6-2, 2-0 before swinging the match back her way. She broke Sabalenka three times in the final set and finished the comeback in 2 hours and 14 minutes. That kind of swing is rare against a top seed, especially from a player who had not won a set in six previous matches against a top-ranked opponent.
Sabalenka had beaten Cirstea 6-3, 6-3 at the Brisbane International in January, so the Rome result flipped the script quickly. Cirstea, who is ranked No. 27 and has a career-high No. 21 from 13 years ago, now has 24 career Top 20 wins and a 25-7 record this year. She also won her fourth career singles title in Cluj-Napoca in February, part of a strong stretch late in her career.
Sabalenka's Lower-Back Issue
Sabalenka took a medical timeout in the middle of the decider for what appeared to be a lower-back injury. Afterward, she said her body felt like it was limiting her from performing at the highest level. She also said, “She stepped in and played incredible tennis,” and added that Cirstea “didn't really give me much opportunities.”
The loss was Sabalenka’s third of the 2026 season and her earliest exit from a tournament in more than a year. Her last loss before the quarterfinals came at the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. For Cirstea, the result landed in a season she announced in December would be her last on the WTA Tour, though she has already left open the possibility of reconsidering if the year ends with the kind of result she just posted in Rome.
Final Year, Bigger Result
After the match, Cirstea said, “She doesn’t need an introduction,” then added, “I’m very happy with the win. I thought I played really well today. I’m working really really hard. It’s nice to have this result as payoff.” Asked about retirement, she said, “Maybe if I win the tournament, I promise I’ll think about it,” before making her position clear: “I know the level is there” and “In the same time my mind is quite set that at the end of the year, I want to retire.”
That leaves Rome with a simple next step for Cirstea: the fourth round, and a chance to keep extending a run that already includes a comeback over the top seed and the first set she has ever taken off a World No. 1. For Sabalenka, the setback is immediate and concrete — another early exit, a body concern in the middle of the match, and a stop in Rome before the tournament's final week.
