Romanian tennis star Sorana Cîrstea, 36, advanced to the semifinals of the WTA 1000 Rome Open, defeating Maria (6-2, 6-0), Sabalenka (2-6, 6-3, 7-5), and Ostapenko (6-1, 7-6). She was ultimately defeated by Coco Gauff (4-6, 3-6) in the semifinals.

Sorana Cîrstea Reflects on Semifinal Run at Rome Open

Upon her return to Romania, Sorana Cîrstea was directly asked if she plans to retire. This comes as the current year is the last in which she will compete at the highest level in tennis.

Cîrstea highlighted that she is asked this question daily, as she is in peak physical condition. During the Italian Open, for example, she defeated Sabalenka, a top-ranked player, for the first time in her career.

"I hear this every day from every person. As I have said, I enjoy every day. It's an extraordinary year for me, far beyond expectations, and I'm enjoying what I'm living. I'm very grateful to this sport, and we're not even halfway through the year, so I hope to continue like this. The most important thing is to be healthy, as the rest will follow. It's a beautiful year for me, and I'm enjoying every week with the people who love me. Everything that happens to me comes after many years of hard work."

Reactions from Coco Gauff After Victory Over Sorana Cîrstea

"It was a difficult week. I'm happy for the victory, to return to the final. The first rounds were very hard, I was one step away from elimination. Under these conditions, I'm very happy to reach the final. All the matches were tough, and when we didn't play well, we found solutions."