Sorana Cirstea, 32, admits she has been lucky to have a chance to compete against some of the best players in tennis history and revealed Rafael Nadal is the male player she has always been looking up to. Cirstea, who has been around the Tour for the past decade and a half, has seen many great champions come and go over the course of her career.
Cirstea had a chance to complete against Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, as well as the Williams sisters. Now, Cirstea is in the generation which is led by Iga Swiatek. “There have been many tough players and I have been lucky to battle against players of different generations – right from Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters to the Williams sisters and now Iga Swiatek,” Cirstea told Sportskeeda.
“With regards to my favorite player, I have always looked up to Rafael Nadal for his incredible sportsmanship, resilience and what he has brought to the sport.”
Cirstea achieved success early
Cirstea achieved the best results of her career very early in her career.
Cirstea made her first and lone Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open in 2009, while she achieved a career-high ranking of No. 21 in 2013. “It is never easy to turn professional and be successful at a young age,” Cirstea explained.
“You go in with no fear and a fresh mind but then expectations rise and the pressure starts mounting. That’s when you need a good team around you to keep your feet on the ground and set realistic goals. I could have handled it better but I feel this was part of my journey and I am proud to have learnt from it.”
Cirstea made a solid start to the grass season as she reached the Birmingham semifinal. Unfortunately for Cirstea, she didn’t make it far at Wimbledon as she was beaten by Germany’s Tatjana Maria in the second round.
