Sorana Cîrstea Wins WTA Title and Jumps in Rankings

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Sorana Cîrstea celebrated a remarkable victory at the WTA 250 Tennis in the Land tournament on Saturday, defeating American Ann Li 6-2, 6-4 in the final. This win marks her third WTA singles title, following previous victories in Tashkent (2008) and Istanbul (2021).

At 35 years old, Cîrstea made an impressive comeback, climbing 41 positions to rank 71st in the world with 928 points. She was previously ranked 112th before the tournament. Cîrstea’s performance was solid throughout the week, as she won all seven matches without dropping a set.

The Romanian tennis player expressed her joy after securing the title, stating, “It was a special week for me. I came here just to play a few matches, had zero expectations, and felt great energy right from the first match.” She thanked the Romanian supporters present during her matches, who cheered, “Romania!”

Cîrstea’s title came with a prize of $36,300 and 268 WTA points. Ann Li, 25, ranked 69th, earned $21,484 and 163 points for her runner-up finish.

Besides Cîrstea, three other Romanian players remain in the WTA Top 100: Jaqueline Cristian at 50th, Gabriela Ruse at 70th, and Irina Begu at 92nd. Cristian, the highest-ranking Romanian, maintains a total of 1,161 points.

The top three positions in the WTA rankings remain unchanged, with Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus leading, followed by Iga Swiatek from Poland and Coco Gauff from the USA.

Cîrstea is set to compete in the first round of the US Open against Argentina’s Solana Sierra, ranked 74th. Given her recent success, expectations for her performance are high.