Sorana Cîrstea Stuns World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Rome After Dramatic Comeback

Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea produced one of the biggest victories of her career in Rome, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the third round of the Italian Open.

The win sends Cîrstea into the last 16 of the WTA 1000 tournament and marks her first career victory against a player ranked world No. 1.

A Slow Start, Then a Major Turnaround

Sabalenka began the match strongly and looked in control after taking the opening set 6-2. The Belarusian also moved ahead early in the second set, but Cîrstea gradually found her rhythm and started to turn the match into a physical and mental battle.

The Romanian became more aggressive from the baseline, reduced her errors and forced Sabalenka into longer exchanges. From that point, the momentum shifted. Cîrstea took the second set 6-3 and pushed the match into a decider.

Cîrstea Holds Her Nerve in the Final Set

The third set delivered the tension expected from a match against the top seed. Sabalenka fought to stay alive and levelled the score at 5-5, but Cîrstea remained composed in the decisive moments.

At 36, in what has been reported as her final season on the WTA Tour, the Romanian showed experience, patience and courage under pressure. She closed out the match 7-5, completing a memorable comeback on one of tennis’s biggest clay-court stages.

A Statement Win for Romanian Tennis

For Cîrstea, the result is more than a place in the next round. It is one of the defining wins of her long career and a reminder of her ability to challenge the very best players in the world.

For Romanian tennis, the victory stands out not only because of the scoreline, but because of the opponent, the setting and the manner of the comeback. Beating Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1 and top seed in Rome, gives the result genuine weight ahead of the final stretch before Roland Garros.

Cîrstea will face Linda Noskova in the next round, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.