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Sorana Cirstea, 32, says she is probably now enjoying tennis more than she did when she was 20. Cirstea, ranked at No 74 in the world, ousted second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 6-4 in the Miami Open quarterfinal. Cirstea, who achieved a career-high ranking of No 21 in 2013, turned back the clock in Miami and clinched a couple of very strong wins.
After beating fourth-ranked Caroline Garcia in the Indian Wells second round, Cirstea also beat Sabalenka for her first win over a top-2 player.
Cirstea on her resurgence, playing tennis at 32
"I started very young, by 17 I was top 100, and by 18, I finished the year I think 30-something.
So I definitely started very well. If you'd have asked me back then, I would say by 30, I wouldn't probably be playing anymore. But with the years, you start to mature, you start to enjoy the game a bit more. Right now, I'm really enjoying tennis, probably in a way that when I was 20, I didn't really enjoy it.
Of course, I wish I was 20 and have these results, but at the same time, I'm very proud of my mindset, my work ethic, my discipline, and also my belief, because I always believed that my game can do damage. Some players take longer, some players take less time, but I'm still proud of everything I have achieved throughout my career," Cirstea said, per Sportskeeda.
The start of the 2023 season wasn't that great for Cirstea, who had multiple early-round exits in the first two months of the season. But since the start of the Sunshine Double, Cirstea has been playing great. In Indian Wells, Cirstea made the quarterfinal before losing to world No 1 Iga Swiatek. After a strong Indian Wells result, Cirstea also continued her fine form in Miami.