'Give It Back': Tennis Star Cirstea Makes Plea After Cleveland Trophy 'Goes Missing'

Last Updated:August 31, 2025, 16:13 IST

Sorana Cirstea’s Cleveland Trophy vanished from her The Fifty Sonesta hotel room in New York. She pleaded for its return, citing its sentimental value.

Sorana Cirstea (PC: X)

Romania’s Sorana Cirstea’s historic Cleveland Trophy has ‘gone missing’ from her hotel room at The Fifty Sonesta, New York. On Sunday (August 31), she took to social media to plead for its return.

It was her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title in over four years last Saturday after defeating American Ann Li 6-2, 6-4. This triumph marked just her third career title and a big step towards her US Open prep.

"Whoever stole my Cleveland trophy from room 314 at @thefiftysonesta please give it back," the 35-year-old wrote. “It has no material value, just sentimental value! It would be greatly appreciated! Thank you."

Ranked 112th as she continues to recover from foot surgery last year, Cirstea made it through qualifying without losing a set all week. She overcame late-match nerves, missing three match points on Li’s serve in the ninth game of the second set and then saving two break points before securing victory on her fifth match point in the next game.

Cirstea broke Li’s serve three times and saved all three break points she faced in the 1-hour 24-minute match.

“It’s been a special week for me," Cirstea said afterwards. “I really just came here to play some matches with no expectations."

“I couldn’t ask for a better coach. Very recently, two months ago, we got back together and then straightaway we got the title… I’m very, very grateful for [the Romanians’] support. This one is for you guys as well. I didn’t think there were so many Romanians in Cleveland," she added.

The trophy loss only adds to her disappointment after losing to Karolina Muchova in the second round of the year’s final Grand Slam on Thursday. Cirstea was thumped 7-0 in the first-set tiebreak but rallied to win the second-set tiebreak 7-3 before coughing up the deciding set, 4-6, to bow out of the Open.

Muchova, a US Open semi-finalist in 2023 and 2024, went on to win her third-round clash with fellow Czech, Linda Noskova, in three sets.

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First Published:

August 31, 2025, 16:13 IST

News sports 'Give It Back': Tennis Star Cirstea Makes Plea After Cleveland Trophy 'Goes Missing'

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