As far as farewell seasons go, Sorana Cirstea's 2026 swansong must be ranked somewhere near the top.

A perennially dangerous opponent, Cirstea has caused regular upsets of leading names across the course of her two-decade-long career. She has been a mainstay in the world's top 100 for almost the entirety of that time, and is a well-liked and respected member of the tennis circuit, as well as highly popular among tennis fans worldwide.

When the 36-year-old Romanian announced last December that this year was to be her last on the WTA Tour, therefore, the news was greeted with genuine sadness by both her colleagues and followers of the sport.

Yet, ultimately, the private consensus was likely a reluctant one that this decision made sense.…