Sorana Cîrstea's final tennis season and the right moment to retire from sports

ROME — Tennis retirements are often painful. Whether it was Rafael Nadal’s agonizing final season in 2024, or Andy Murray barely being able to take the court for his last Wimbledon in the same year, there have been numerous reminders of how hard it is to pick the right moment to say goodbye. Mic-drops, like Pete Sampras winning the 2002 U.S. Open, are rare; Serena and Venus Williams both avoided the word as much as they could, with the latter coming back from a hiatus to play at 45 and the former causing intrigue about whether she will, too.Advertisement