Sorana Cirstea makes appeal for return of ‘stolen’ Tennis in the Land trophy

Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea has appealed for the return of a trophy she says was stolen from her hotel room in New York.

The 35-year-old won the third WTA singles title of her career, and first since 2021, at the Tennis in the Land championship in Cleveland on 23 August.

“Whoever stole my Cleveland trophy from room 314 at The Fifty Sonesta please give it back,” the world number 57 wrote on Instagram.

“It has no material value, just sentimental value! It would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.”

Cirstea was presented with the trophy a day before the start of the US Open, which she went on to play in at Flushing Meadows in New York.

She lost in the second round of the singles to 11th seed Karolina Muchova, and in the first round of the doubles with partner Anna Kalinskaya.

It was a disappointing result for the pair, who won the Madrid Open on clay earlier this year.

That was compounded by the disappearance of her trophy from the Fifty Sonesta Hotel, where Cirstea was staying in New York.

BBC Sport has contacted the hotel owners for comment.