Sorana Cirstea booked her place in the quarterfinals of the French Open after beating Wang Xiyu in straight sets.
Cirstea, aged 36, defeated the Chinese star 6-3, 7-6 to advance to the last eight, continuing her excellent run of form.
The Romanian veteran reached the semifinals of the Italian Open earlier in the clay swing, and is now one win away from her best-ever Grand Slam finish.
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With her latest triumph at Roland Garros, Cirstea has just made history by setting a remarkable record.
Sorana Cirstea makes history at the 2026 French Open
According to Opta Ace, Cirstea has reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros with the longest gap between the first two quarterfinals in a single women’s singles major in the Open Era.
Cirstea first made the quarterfinals of Roland Garros back in 2009, where she was ultimately knocked out by Australian player Samantha Stosur.
Now, 17 years later, she has done it again following a fantastic campaign thus far.
Cirstea has yet to drop a set during her run in Paris, with four convincing wins under her belt.
She beat home hope Ksenia Efremova and Eva Lys in rounds one and two, before earning a double-bagel (6-0, 6-0) win in round three against Solana Sierra.
Sorana Cirstea reacts to reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros
Reacting to her win after the match, Cirstea said: “I always thought there is no expiry date for ambition and for dreams. I have so much passion for this sport.
“I absolutely love tennis and to be able to still play at this level – have my family, my team, the closest people watching me – it’s an absolute joy.
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“I think sometimes society puts us in certain groups because of the age. But I think in life, you are free to do whatever you want and I want to play. And here I am, thank you everyone for all the support.”
Prior to this year’s French Open, Cirstea’s last appearance in a Grand Slam quarterfinal came at the 2023 US Open.
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