Seeded No. 3 at the Transylvania Open 2026, Sorana earned an important straight-sets win in what many called the match of the day in Cluj, defeating Kamilla Rakhimova 6–4, 6–4 for her first victory at this tournament.
After the match, the world No. 36 was visibly moved by the crowd chanting her name and said these memories will stay with her forever.
“As I said on court, these are the memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I love tennis, I love everything about this sport, and it has truly given me so much. One of those things is this support from people. As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned to enjoy and appreciate this support more and more. That’s why, in my final season, I really wanted to play once again here in Cluj.”
And she truly played with appetite.
In the first set, Sorana was the one applying constant pressure. She earned an early break and then raised her level even further to protect that advantage — defending well, coming forward to the net on several occasions, holding firm in the heavy exchanges with Rakhimova, and closing the set before things could get complicated.
Rakhimova (world No. 93) showed her intent to go toe-to-toe, especially late in the first set and early in the second. She broke and surged to 4–2 with very aggressive, precise tennis — changing directions quickly and forcing Sorana to hit on the run. During that stretch, Sorana’s goal was simply to stay in the match.
Once the storm passed and she escaped the 2–4 situation, clarity returned. Sorana broke back, leveled the score, then struck decisively at 4–4 with the break that paved the way to victory — sealed with an impeccable service game featuring two consecutive aces and a lightning down-the-line forehand.
Sorana Cîrstea:
“Even though this is my final year, I still have many goals. I’m very ambitious, I’m ranked around No. 30 in the world, and I feel competitive with the top players.
I’m happy to arrive here in Cluj in good form, and I hope I can maintain this level for as long as possible this week.”
Sorana said she knew that once she announced this decision, the year would inevitably be an emotional one.
“That’s because, in every place I go, I realize it will be the last time I play there. But I accepted this. It was a very carefully considered decision.
(…) I always wanted to leave tennis on a high note, while I’m still competitive. So yes, it’s emotional, but at the same time it was my decision, and I take full responsibility for it.”
