Personal

Coached by Thomas Johansson
Introduced to tennis at age 4 by mother, Liliana; father's name is Mihai; younger brother's name is Mihnea; full name is Sorana Mihaela Cirstea
Speaks Romanian, English and Spanish and is studying French
Likes all surfaces; favorite shot is forehand; most admires Steffi Graf
Enjoys playing all ball sports, going shopping, watching movies, reading and doing crosswords
Favorite cities are New York and London ("big cities with lots to do")
Self-described as ambitious, stubborn and happy

Career Highlights

SINGLES
Winner (2): 2021 - Istanbul; 2008 - Tashkent.
Finalist (4): 2021 - Strasbourg; 2019 - Tashkent; 2013 - Toronto; 2007 - Budapest.

DOUBLES
Winner (5): 2019 - Lugano (w/Mitu); 2011 - Dallas (w/Brianti); 2010 - Oeiras (w/Medina Garrigues); 2008 - Fès (w/Pavlyuchenkova), Luxembourg (w/Erakovic).
Finalist (5): 2014 - Tianjin (w/Klepac); 2010 - Budapest (w/Medina Garrigues); 2009 - Barcelona (w/Klepac), Fès (w/Kirilenko); 2008 - New Haven (w/Niculescu).

ADDITIONAL
Romanian Fed Cup Team, 2006, 2008-09, 2013-14, 2017-18; Romanian Olympic Team, 2008, 2012.

Career in Review

2023 - Saw her best results achieved in the US. Advanced to Indian Wells QF for the first time (l. Swiatek), then made SF at Miami (l. eventual champion Kvitova) and QF at US Open (l. Muchova)

2022 – Seventh Top 50 season (No.38); came close to her career-high ranking (No.21) when she reached No.24 on April 11; reached 4r of the Australian Open (l. Swiatek); reached semifinals on three different surfaces: hard court at Lyon (l. Yastremska), clay at Istanbul (l. Kudermetova), and grass at Birmingham (l. Zhang)

2021 - Sixth Top 50 season (No.38) and sixth consecutive Top 100 finish; won title at 2021 Istanbul, her second title and first in 13 years; in 19 tournaments reached the QF or better four times; in addition to title in Istanbul, finished as runner-up at Strasbourg and reached QF at Portoroz and Melbourne 500 [Grampians Trophy].

2020 - Posted 12th Top 100 season; finished season ranked No.86; in shortened Tour season, best result came at US Open reaching 3r (l. Muchova); ended 2020 on a high, winning singles title at ITF/$100k Dubai-UAE in December (d. Siniakova in F).

2019 - Posted 11th Top 100 season (finishing No.74); finished runner-up at Tashkent (l. to Van Uytvanck); SF once at Nurnberg (l. to eventual champion Putintseva); QF at Budapest (l. to Potapova) and Limoges (l. Gibbs); reached 3r twice (incl. US Open), 2r five times (incl. Roland Garros) and 1r six times (incl. other two majors) and in qualifying three times; won one WTA doubles title.

2018 - Tenth Top 100 season (finishing No.86); QF twice at Nürnberg (l. to Riske) and Bucharest (l. to Sevastova); reached 3r once and 2r eight times (incl. Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open); fell 1r 10 times (incl. Roland Garros) and in qualifying twice.

2017 - Fifth non-consecutive Top 50 season (finishing ranked No.37); advanced to one SF at Nurnberg (l. Krejcikova); reached five QFs at Istanbul (l. Svitolina), Madrid (l. Mladenovic), Seoul (l. Kumkhum), Beijing (l. Ostapenko) and Linz (l. Rybarikova); posted one R16 appearance at Australian Open (l. Muguruza); made two 3r at Miami (l. Wozniacki) and Wimbledon (l. Muguruza); 2r five times (incl. other two majors); fell in 1r on seven occasions.

2016 - Fifth non-consecutive Top 50 finish, at No.37, up from No.81 in 2016; Also nine Top 100 seasons in past 10 years, including Top 30 finishes in 2012 and 2013; 2017 season highlighted by SF showing at Nürnberg (l. Krejcikova) and QF runs at Istanbul, Madrid, Seoul, Beijing and Linz; Also reached R16 at Australian Open - first time advancing to that stage since 2009 Roland Garros.

2015 - Reached 2r once; fell 1r three times (incl. Australian Open) and in qualifying four times (incl. other three majors).

2014 - Seventh straight Top 100 season; QF three times at Pattaya City (l. to Ka.Pliskova 16 76(3) 60; held 2mp at 61 54), Dubai and Tianjin; reached 3r once (Roland Garros) and 2r seven times (incl. US Open); fell 1r 10 times (incl. other two majors) and in qualifying three times; struggled w/right shoulder injury during season (withdrew from Oeiras, Birmingham and Eastbourne).

2013 - Second Top 30 season (finishing No.22); runner-up at Toronto (l. to S.Williams in final); SF twice at Pattaya City (l. to Kirilenko) and Stanford (l. to Cibulkova); QF twice at Birmingham and Washington DC; reached 4r once, 3r five times (incl. Australian Open and Roland Garros) and 2r seven times (incl. other two majors); fell 1r eight times; set career-high No.21 on August 12 (after Toronto); struggled with abdominal strain during second half of season (withdrew from Cincinnati, retired in New Haven 1r and withdrew from Luxembourg).

2012 - First Top 30 season (finishing No.27); SF four times at Pattaya City (l. to Kirilenko), Barcelona (l. to Cibulkova), Stanford (l. to S.Williams) and Guangzhou (l. to Robson); QF twice at Hobart (l. to Kerber 60 36 75; held 2mp at 5-3 third set) and Dallas; reached 3r three times (incl. Australian Open and Wimbledon) and 2r eight times (incl. US Open); fell 1r 10 times (incl. Roland Garros, Olympics and Miami - l. to Watson 63 36 76(4); held 2mp at 5-4 third set) and in qualifying once.

2011 - Another Top 100 season; QF twice at Tashkent and Linz; reached 3r once (Roland Garros) and 2r seven times (incl. Australian Open); fell 1r six times (incl. other two majors) and in qualifying four times; won one WTA doubles title; won three singles titles on ITF Circuit.

2010 - Another Top 100 season; SF at Oeiras (l. to Parra Santonja); QF twice at Istanbul and Copenhagen; reached 2r six times (incl. Australian Open and Eastbourne - l. to Kuznetsova 46 76(6) 76(4); held mp at 6-5 in second set tie-break); fell 1r 14 times (incl. other three majors) and in qualifying three times; won one WTA doubles title.

2009 - Another Top 50 season; SF twice at Marbella (l. to Suárez Navarro) and Los Angeles (l. to Stosur); QF twice at Oeiras and Roland Garros (first Grand Slam QF; l. to Stosur); reached 3r three times (incl. Wimbledon, US Open) and 2r three times (incl. Bastad - l. to Dulko 63 46 76(5); held 4mp in third set - 3mp at 5-3, 1mp at 5-4); fell 1r 14 times (incl. Australian Open).

2008 - First Top 50 season (finishing No.37); won first WTA title at Tashkent (d. Lisicki in final); SF at Luxembourg (l. to Dementieva); QF four times at Acapulco (l. to Kanepi 62 46 76(6); held 2mp at 6-4 in tie-break), Fès, 's-Hertogenbosch and New Haven; reached 3r once and 2r seven times (incl. Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open); fell 1r four times (incl. Australian Open and Olympics) and in qualifying twice; made Top 100 debut on February 25 (rose from No.107 to No.100) and Top 50 debut on September 8 (after US Open; rose from No.53 to No.45); won first two WTA doubles titles; won one doubles title on ITF Circuit.

2007 - Runner-up at Budapest (l. to Dulko in final); first Romanian to reach a WTA final since Dragomir Ilie in 2000 ('s-Hertogenbosch); SF at Bali (l. to Hantuchova); reached 2r once; fell 1r three times and in qualifying three times (incl. Wimbledon, US Open); won one singles title and two doubles titles on ITF Circuit.

2006 - Played first WTA main draw at Stockholm, falling 1r (l. to Kanepi); fell in qualifying once; won two singles titles and two doubles titles on ITF Circuit.

2005 - Won one singles title and two doubles titles on ITF Circuit.

2004 - Played first events of career on ITF Circuit, winning two doubles titles.