Jasmine Paolini vs. Sorana Cirstea — US Open 2026 Third-Round Match Report
Sorana Cirstea is 36 years old and virtually up to No. 15 in the world.
That may be the most remarkable part of her US Open.
The Romanian continued an extraordinary late-career rise by beating No. 19 seed Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3, reaching the fourth round without dropping a set.
Cirstea is comfortably the oldest woman inside the Top 50. Shuai Zhang, 37, sits around No. 53. Laura Siegemund, 38, is around No. 102. Arantxa Rus, 35, is down at No. 203.
Cirstea is still moving in the opposite direction.
And after three straight-set victories in New York, Jessica Pegula now stands between her and the quarterfinals.
Cirstea Turns 0-2 Into 6-3
Paolini made the quicker start.
She held the opening game and broke Cirstea for 2-0.
The advantage disappeared almost immediately.
Cirstea broke straight back, held for 2-2 and then took Paolini’s serve again to move ahead 3-2.
She consolidated for 4-2. Paolini stopped the run with a hold for 4-3, but Cirstea remained firmly in control.
A hold made it 5-3 before another break closed the set.
6-3.
From 0-2 down, Cirstea had won six of seven games.
Set 1 at a Glance
- Cirstea hit 4 aces to Paolini’s 1, and won 67% of her service points (14 of 21) to Paolini’s 43% (18 of 42).
- Cirstea won her return games 3 of 5, while Paolini managed just 1 of 4.
- Cirstea won 38 of 63 total points, despite Paolini winning more pressure points, 10 to 7.
Full Set 1 Stats
| Paolini | Statistic | Cirstea |
|---|---|---|
| Set 1 Duration: 0h39m | ||
| 0.58 | Dominance Ratio | 1.71 |
| 9 | Winners | 8 |
| 13 | Unforced Errors | 7 |
| 183 | Serve Rating | 271 |
| 1 | Aces | 4 |
| 3 | Double Faults | 2 |
| 64% (27/42) | 1st Serve % | 71% (15/21) |
| 48% (13/27) | 1st Serve Points Won | 73% (11/15) |
| 33% (5/15) | 2nd Serve Points Won | 50% (3/6) |
| 57% (4/7) | Break Points Saved | 50% (1/2) |
| 152 | Return Rating | 222 |
| 27% (4/15) | 1st Return Points Won | 52% (14/27) |
| 50% (3/6) | 2nd Return Points Won | 67% (10/15) |
| 1/2 | Break Points Won | 3/7 |
| 25 | Total Points Won | 38 |
Five Straight Games End Paolini’s Challenge
The second set briefly followed a similar pattern.
Paolini broke for 2-1 and consolidated to lead 3-1.
Again, Cirstea responded immediately.
She broke back for 3-2, held for 3-3 and then broke once more to take the lead.
Paolini never won another game.
Cirstea held for 5-3 and finished the match with another break.
6-3.
Five consecutive games had turned a 1-3 deficit into victory.
Paolini had established a lead in both sets.
Neither survived for long.
Set 2 at a Glance
- Cirstea won 66% of her service points (19 of 29), well ahead of Paolini’s 50% (13 of 26).
- Cirstea won her return games 2 of 4, while Paolini managed just 1 of 5.
- Cirstea won 32 of 55 total points, hitting 3 aces to Paolini’s 0.
Full Set 2 Stats
| Paolini | Statistic | Cirstea |
|---|---|---|
| Set 2 Duration: 0h37m | ||
| 0.69 | Dominance Ratio | 1.45 |
| 3 | Winners | 9 |
| 12 | Unforced Errors | 9 |
| 207 | Serve Rating | 284 |
| 0 | Aces | 3 |
| 1 | Double Faults | 1 |
| 81% (21/26) | 1st Serve % | 72% (21/29) |
| 57% (12/21) | 1st Serve Points Won | 67% (14/21) |
| 20% (1/5) | 2nd Serve Points Won | 63% (5/8) |
| 71% (5/7) | Break Points Saved | 50% (1/2) |
| 141 | Return Rating | 202 |
| 33% (7/21) | 1st Return Points Won | 43% (9/21) |
| 38% (3/8) | 2nd Return Points Won | 80% (4/5) |
| 1/2 | Break Points Won | 2/7 |
| 23 | Total Points Won | 32 |
Cirstea Was Better in Almost Every Important Area
The statistics support the scoreline.
Cirstea hit 17 winners to Paolini’s 12 while committing only 16 unforced errors against the Italian’s 25.
The greater difference came behind serve.
Cirstea won 69 percent of her first-serve points and 57 percent behind her second serve. Paolini managed 52 and 30 percent respectively.
That second serve became particularly vulnerable: Cirstea won 14 of the 20 points played behind it.
She also struck seven aces and broke Paolini five times.
The Romanian finished with 70 of the 118 total points and a dominance ratio of 1.60.
Paolini’s was 0.62.
This was not merely a match Cirstea managed better at the important moments. She controlled substantially more of it.
Six Sets and Three Very Different Wins
Cirstea’s tournament has developed without requiring a deciding set.
She opened by beating Julia Grabher 6-3, 6-0.
Then came Diane Parry, fresh from winning the Monterrey title. Cirstea won that one 6-2, 7-5.
Paolini presented another variation.
She led early in both sets and still lost them 6-3.
That progression is encouraging for Cirstea because the three matches have asked different questions. She has dealt with a comfortable opener, a recent title winner and now a seeded opponent who repeatedly gained the early advantage.
The answer has remained the same.
Two sets have been enough.
A Ranking Rise That Defies the Usual Career Curve
Cirstea’s position among the tour’s oldest players puts this run into perspective.
There are older women still competing successfully.
But none is operating at her ranking level.
Zhang is outside the Top 50. Siegemund is outside the Top 100. Rus, despite being a year younger than Cirstea, is far further down the rankings.
Cirstea is already at a career-high No. 17. Now, at 36, she is virtually up to No. 15.
That is a career peak arriving extraordinarily late.
Pegula Offers an Immediate Rematch
Jessica Pegula is next.
And Cirstea does not need to look far back for evidence that the matchup can become complicated.
Their only previous meeting came just two weeks ago in Cincinnati, where Pegula won 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in 2 hours and 5 minutes.
Cirstea therefore already knows she can take the world No. 3 deep into a deciding set.
This time the stakes are higher.
A place in the US Open quarterfinals is on the line.
And Cirstea arrives having won all six sets she has played in New York.
Pegula too.
At 36, the Direction Is Still Up
The striking thing about Cirstea’s season is where she is heading.
Three US Open victories have taken her into the fourth round and toward the highest ranking of her career.
Now Pegula stands in the way.
Two weeks ago, Cirstea came within two games of beating her.
This time, the prize is a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
For most players, the ranking graph begins pointing downward in their 30s. Jessica Pegula, at 32, is a notable exception.
Sorana Cirstea is still climbing at 36.