You know when something goes wrong at work and you just want to slam your laptop shut, walk out of the office and quit? Apparently, professional athletes know that feeling, too.
Tennis star Sorana Cirstea lost 6-2, 6-3 to Alexandra Shubladze in the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open on Friday night and shocked the tennis world by retiring from the sport immediately after the match.
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Cirstea, 36, was the No. 1 seed at the Hong Kong Open and the 15th-ranked player in the world. She came into the season saying 2026 would be her final year on tour and decided to follow through with that plan after the upset loss.
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Sorana Cirstea competes in the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Hong Kong Tennis Open on Nov. 6, 2026, in Hong Kong. (Kobe Li/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)
“Given how things ended here in Asia, with several early losses, I think the decision is pretty clear,” Cirstea said in the press zone, according to Tennis Temple.
“I was running on empty, I had no energy left. It’s been a long year. I need to step back and process all of this before making a final announcement, which should come in a few weeks.”
Unlike many people who rage-quit their jobs because they are fed up, Cirstea was thriving. Her No. 15 ranking was the highest of her career.
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Sorana Cirstea of Romania and Alexandra Shubladze of Russia compete in the Women’s Singles quarterfinals at the Hong Kong Tennis Open on Nov. 6, 2026, in Hong Kong. (Kobe Li/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)
Cirstea became just the fourth woman age 36 or older to finish a season ranked among the world’s top 16 in the last 40 years, joining Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.
In May, Cirstea defeated then-No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka at the Italian Open and was already receiving pleas from fans to keep playing.
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Sorana Cirstea of Romania competes in the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Hong Kong Tennis Open (WTA 250) on Nov. 6, 2026, in Hong Kong. (Kobe Li/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)
“Everyone has been asking me, like, ‘You cannot retire, you cannot retire!’” Cirstea said in May at the Italian Open, according to the New York Post.
During her career, the Romanian tennis player has won four singles titles and earned more than $13 million in prize money, according to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) website.