Sorana Cîrstea became an international press subject after announcing that the recently conquered trophy was stolen from the hotel room in which she was staying in New York, during the US Open.
Sorana Cîrstea was left without the trophy won at Cleveland Photo: Archive
After a promising start before the US Open, when he won the Cleveland tournament, Sorana Cîrstea had only disappointments in New York. On the field, he lost dramatically in the second round, against Karoline Muchova, in a match considered one of the best of the season. In double, along with Anna Kalinskaya, she was eliminated from the first round.
But the troubles did not stop here. The Romanian announced on Instagram that he disappeared from the hotel room the trophy won at Cleveland, an object devoid of material value, but extremely important for it. “The trophy has no material value, but it has a huge sentimental value for me. Please anyone taking it back to me“, Sportiva wrote.
Echoes in the international press
The incident has attracted the attention of tennis publications and beyond. The Spaniards at Punto de Break wrote: “Throughout his career for almost 20 years, Sorana Cîrstea has managed to win three individual titles, Last being conquered at Cleveland. This figure reflects how difficult it is to triumph in the circuit … only for a thief to enter the hotel where you are staying and steal your trophy. This is the sad story that the 35-year-old Veterana lived during his stay in New York. Sorana begged that the trophy be returned to her, mainly for an emotional reason. We hope he will be lucky, although we know that such stories do not end, usually, well. “
Australians from 7New.au have titled: “Sorana Cîrstea, with a broken heart, after a sentimental trophy was stolen from the hotel room“, Adding that the Romanian launched a public call for the trophy return, according to Eurosport.
The American publication Tennisforum.com also noted the context in which the incident appeared: “Cârstea warmed up for the US Open winning the Cleveland final, in front of the American Ann Li. It was her first title on the 2008 hard. A few days away, the trophy disappeared from the New York hotel room, and the athlete resorted to social networks to recover it.”.
Mystery at the Fifty Sonesta hotel
The trophy disappeared from Sorana’s room at the Fifty Sonesta hotel, one of the most famous in New York, near the Rockefeller Center and Times Square. Given the high level of security, it is hard to believe that an outside person could have penetrated without being observed, which raises suspicions on the hotel employees.
For now, it is not clear whether the athlete has been dispossessed by other goods. The only certain thing is that the disappearance of the trophy shadows the joy of an important victory, which brought the third WTA title to the Palmarea, after those from Tashkent (2008) and Istanbul (2021).
