Sorana Cîrstea Returns from Rome with a Semifinal

Sorana Cîrstea returned from Rome with a semifinal victory that propelled her into the top 20 WTA rankings for the first time. Her confidence has been greatly enhanced after defeating the world No. 1, Arina Sabalenka, in a match where Sabalenka initially led 1-0 in sets and 2-0 in games in the second set.

With a quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros in 2009 early in her career, Cîrstea knows the significance of the upcoming Grand Slam tournament in Paris, which could become a pivotal moment in her extended career spanning over two decades.

Cîrstea on Her WTA Finals Qualification: "Anything Is Possible, But It's Far Off"

A strong result at Roland Garros 2026 could boost Sorana Cîrstea's chances of qualifying for the WTA Finals. At present, Cîrstea occupies 11th place in the race for the tournament, being "neighbored" in the rankings by former WTA No. 1, Iga Swiatek.

When asked about a potential top-eight finish, which would guarantee her a spot in the WTA Finals, Sorana Cîrstea immediately responded, indicating that she is considering this scenario, but qualifying is not her priority.

"It's far off. Anything is possible in sports, but it's very far off," Cîrstea responded regarding the WTA Finals scheduled for November 7-14.

Before Roland Garros 2026, Sorana Cîrstea sits in 11th place in the WTA Finals race, with 1,425 points. The player in 8th place, Victoria Mboko, has 620 more WTA points compared to Cîrstea.