Sorana Cirstea defeated world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The Romanian won 2-6, 6-3 and 7-5 on the Foro Italico center court, in Roma, this Saturday. The game lasted about two hours.
Cirstea, 35 years old and seeded 26th, confirmed his good moment on Italian clay. Ela had eliminated Tatjana Maria by double 6-0 and 6-2 in the previous round. The victory over Sabalenka marks one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far.
ANOTHER TOP SEED FALLS IN ROME 😱
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 9, 2026
This time, it’s Sorana Cirstea taking down Aryna Sabalenka!#IBI26 pic.twitter.com/uffqeNfi6c
Cirstea reacts after losing the first set with ease
The Belarusian started dominant. Sabalenka broke her opponent’s serve right from the start and closed the opening half at 6-2. Ela won 76% of the points with the first serve in the opening minutes and continued pressure with the forehand.
The Romanian adjusted her positioning on the return. Cirstea started to better explore parallels and reduced unforced errors. The second set turned into a sequence of four games in a row from the visitor.
- Cirstea converted four of six break points in the game total
- Sabalenka committed 31 double faults compared to the opponent’s 27
- The Romanian won 56% of the points on the first serve
- In the second service, Cirstea was at 44% while the Belarusian had 53%
Virada consolidates in the decisive set
The third set was the most balanced. Sabalenka led 5-3, but Cirstea broke back and forced the score to 5-5. The Romanian kept her serve at a critical moment and closed the match with a solid game. Ela converted the decisive break point in the 12th game.
Cirstea celebrated a lot at the end. The victory puts her in the round of 16 of the WTA 1000 for the first time in years. Ela will face the winner of the match between other tennis players in the group.
Estatísticas show balance in withdrawal and return
The match had 14 breaks in total. Sabalenka led in aces, but paid dearly for double faults. Cirstea was more efficient in long exchanges, especially on the slow clay of the Italian capital.
Pontos totals: Cirstea 94 to 92. Games service wins: Cirstea 9 against 8 for the Belarusian. The Romanian even won more points by receiving the opponent’s serve.
Histórico between the two players
Este was the fourth meeting between them. Sabalenka had won the last two, including on Brisbane earlier in the year. Cirstea interrupts the number 1 streak and records her second victory against the Belarusian in her career.
The result represents Sabalenka’s third defeat of the season. The Belarusian was coming off a convincing victory over Barbora Krejcikova in her Roma debut.
Próximos steps for tennis players
Cirstea advances and remains in the title fight on Roma. The tournament continues with other third round games this Saturday. Sabalenka returns to the circuit soon, focusing on preparing for Roland Garros.
