Cirstea Makes French Open History with 'Double Bagel' Win

Sorana Cirstea advanced to the French Open fourth round with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over Solana Sierra, marking a historic achievement as the oldest player in the Open era to claim a 'double bagel' win in a Grand Slam main draw [1]. The 36-year-old Romanian's performance also makes her the oldest player to reach the last-16 in women's singles at Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2021 [1].

Key takeaways

• Sorana Cirstea defeated Solana Sierra 6-0, 6-0 to reach the French Open fourth round [1].
• At 36, Cirstea is the oldest player in the Open era to achieve a 'double bagel' victory in a Grand Slam main draw [1].
• This win makes Cirstea the oldest player to reach the last-16 at Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2021 [1].
• Cirstea is set to retire at the end of 2026 and is currently experiencing one of the best spells of her 20-year career [1, 3].
• Her next opponent will be China's Wang Xiyu [1].

Cirstea's Resurgent Season

Cirstea's victory over Argentina's 21-year-old Sierra was marked by complete dominance, with Sierra failing to reach game point even once during the match [1]. This performance continues a strong season for Cirstea, who announced that 2026 would be her final year in professional tennis [1, 3]. Earlier this month, she reached the Italian Open semi-finals, where she defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka [1, 3]. She also secured a WTA Tour title in her home country at the Transylvania Open and climbed to a joint career-high ranking of No. 21 [3].

Despite her impending retirement, Cirstea expressed that she doesn't feel she is doing anything differently, attributing her success to consistent discipline and professionalism [1]. She noted that she still has goals to improve, which keeps her motivated [1]. This season marks the first time Cirstea has advanced beyond the second round of a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open [1]. Her previous major quarter-final appearance was at the US Open in 2023, and she reached the French Open quarter-finals in 2009 [3].

Other Notable Matches at Roland Garros

In other French Open matches, six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek defeated fellow Pole Magda Linette 6-4, 6-4 [1]. Swiatek, known as 'the Queen of Clay' for her four Roland Garros titles between 2020 and 2024, showed an inconsistent display but secured her win [1]. She will face Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round, who beat Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic 6-4, 6-3 [1]. Meanwhile, Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova, a finalist in 2023, was upset by Switzerland's world number 170 Jil Teichmann, losing 6-1, 7-5 [1].

Why it matters

Cirstea's historic 'double bagel' win at the French Open underscores a remarkable late-career surge as she approaches retirement at the end of 2026 [1, 3]. Her consistent performance, including beating a world number one and reaching a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time in several years, highlights her enduring competitiveness [1, 3]. Should Cirstea advance past her next opponent, Wang Xiyu, she would reach the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the first time in 17 years, matching her best-ever Grand Slam run [1]. This run provides a compelling narrative for a player enjoying significant success in her final season [3].