Jessica Pegula ensured her opponent’s final Grand Slam appearance was a difficult one, defeating Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-4 in the US Open fourth round. Yet once the 84-minute match concluded at Louis Armstrong Stadium, the American quickly shifted focus away from her own victory. Instead, she offered profound respect for the woman standing across the net.

“I have a lot of respect for her. She’s such a great competitor. Kind of the utmost professional I feel like. I’ve known her for quite a while. We actually hadn’t played in a while up until the last few weeks,” Pegula said. “They were two really tough matches. I know it seemed like whatever, somewhat straightforward. But that was a battle. It was definitely really intense.”

Following the handshake, the two players shared a lengthy chat at the net, prompting speculation that Pegula might be asking Cirstea to rethink her impending retirement.

The result officially propelled Pegula into her third consecutive US Open quarterfinal and her 11th major quarterfinal overall. The third seed continued her remarkable 2026 campaign, picking up her 49th win of the season—the most on the WTA Tour. Her side of the draw had noticeably opened up after both Elina Svitolina and Karolina Muchova fell in the third round, paving the way for a deep run.

Pegula seized that opportunity immediately, winning the first 13 points of the match and racing to a 3-0 lead. Cirstea eventually found her footing, forcing Pegula to save three break points in the sixth game before requiring five set points to finally close out the opener. The second set followed a similar grueling pattern before concluding an incredible final chapter in Cirstea’s career.

Pegula kept creating separation, while Cirstea repeatedly dragged herself back into the contest. The Romanian recovered two breaks and saved four break points to hold for 2-4, triggering a tense exchange of four straight breaks. Pegula finally secured the victory after winning a long rally and forcing an error from Cirstea, ending what is expected to be her final Grand Slam match. This emotional defeat caps off a surprisingly dominant farewell tour for the Romanian veteran.

Sorana Cirstea’s incredible 2026 season

Cirstea announced late last year that she planned to retire at the end of the 2026 season. At the time, it looked like a veteran preparing to quietly close the book on a 20-year career. Instead, she has spent her final season playing some of the best tennis of her life.

The 36-year-old has won a title at home, beaten world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for the first time and climbed to a career-high No. 17. Her record this season stands at 37-14, an extraordinary return for a player who had already spent two decades on tour.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is how much Cirstea appears to be enjoying it. After beating Diane Parry in New York, she admitted that announcing her retirement may have changed something inside her.

“I have to say I’m in the best place I’ve ever been in my life, on and off the court,” she said. “I don’t know if maybe doing this announcement did something in my head. In my opinion, I’m still doing the same things. I’m still working the same. But maybe subconsciously something changed there – I relaxed.”

That freedom has been visible. In Rome, Cirstea stunned Sabalenka after losing the opening set 6-2, then went on to defeat Linda Noskova and Jelena Ostapenko before eventually falling to Coco Gauff. She also pushed Gauff hard in Madrid and took Mirra Andreeva to three sets in Linz.

Her competitive edge has never disappeared. Sabalenka called her “a fighter” after their Rome meeting, while Ostapenko suggested that knowing this was her final season had removed some of the pressure.

Cirstea largely agreed. After beating Noskova, she explained that she no longer felt the same need to prove herself. Years of injuries and the constant demands of professional tennis had taken their toll, but retirement had unexpectedly given her some freedom.

“I think in a way it freed me up a little bit, all those expectations just maybe went through the window because I didn’t have to prove anything anymore,” she said.
Now comes the difficult part. Her farewell season has gone so well that people keep asking whether she might change her mind.

Even Sabalenka admitted she wished Cirstea would stay longer, while Cirstea herself has left “a little door” open. Still, her plan remains to walk away while she is playing well, rather than wait until her ranking falls or opportunities disappear.
That makes Pegula’s praise fitting. Cirstea may have lost her final Grand Slam match, but she left the court after reminding everyone exactly why she was so difficult to beat for so long.

For now, retirement remains the plan. And if this really is the end, Cirstea will at least have one final chapter that few athletes ever get: The chance to say goodbye while still playing some of the best tennis of their career.