After losing to Emma Navarro despite 2 match points, Sorana Cirstea finds unique way to 'heal her pain' at Indian Wells

Sorana Cîrstea found a unique way to ease her pain after a tough loss to Emma Navarro at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The Romanian had two match points but couldn’t close it out, allowing the American to come back and take the win.

Cirstea started her WTA 1000 campaign at Indian Wells with a match against Australian Maya Joint, securing a spot in the second round. On Sunday, March 9, she faced Emma Navarro in a tough battle but ultimately fell to the American in three sets, 6-3, 1-6, 6-7(3). Despite a strong start, Cirstea couldn't come out on top, bowing out after a hard-fought contest.

The next day, Cirstea shared on her Instagram story how she coped with the pain of her defeat, despite having two match points. She posted a photo from Cinemark, enjoying a movie with a pack of M&M’s and some popcorn. In the caption, she wrote:

“I heard popcorn and the M&M’s will heal the pain after losing from 2 match points up! Let’s see🤔!”

Sorana Cirstea's Instagram Story ( Image via instagram@soranacirstea)

Cirstea and Navarro are now tied in their head-to-head record after their match at Indian Wells. The Romanian had previously led 1-0, having won their first encounter at the Dubai Tennis Championship in a hard-fought battle, 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5.

A look into Sorana Cirstea's 2025 season before crushing Indian Wells defeat to Emma Navarro

Sorana Cirstea at BNP Paribas Open - Day 2 - Source: Getty

Sorana Cirstea made her comeback in 2025 after a long recovery from foot surgery. She last competed at Wimbledon in July 2024 but was sidelined due to plantar fasciitis. After months away from the court, she returned to action at the Adelaide International in January.

The 34-year-old's run in Adelaide was cut short after a first-round defeat to Jule Niemeier. Cirstea faced a similar fate at the Australian Open, where she lost in straight sets to Elina Svitolina.

She then competed in the Linz Open but was eliminated in the second round. In February, she participated in two tournaments—one in Romania and another in Dubai.

In Romania, Cirstea competed in the Winners Open, a WTA 500 tournament, but was eliminated in the first round by Marina Stakusic. However, she had a better run in doubles, reaching the quarterfinals.

At the Dubai Tennis Championships, she made it to the quarterfinals after defeating Daria Kasatkina, Alycia Parks, and world No. 10 Emma Navarro. Her run ended in the last eight, where she fell short against Karolína Muchová.

In March, she also participated in the ATX Open in Texas before heading to Indian Wells. She reached the quarterfinals but was stopped by McCartney Kessler.