Sonay Kartal
British tennis player (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sonay Kartal (born 28 October 2001) is a British professional tennis player. She has career-high rankings of world No. 44 in singles, achieved on 14 July 2025, and world No. 171 in doubles, achieved on 5 January 2026. Kartal has won one WTA Tour title and 14 ITF titles, all in singles.[1] She is the current British No. 2 women's singles player.
Great BritainKartal at the 2023 French Open | |
| Country (sports) | Great Britain |
|---|---|
| Residence | Brighton, England |
| Born | 28 October 2001 London, England |
| Height | 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) |
| Turned pro | 2019 |
| Plays | Right (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | Julie Hobbs, Ben & Martin Reeves |
| Prize money | $1,870,044 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 172–68 |
| Career titles | 1 |
| Highest ranking | No. 44 (14 July 2025) |
| Current ranking | No. 50 (9 February 2026) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 1R (2025, 2026) |
| French Open | 2R (2025) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (2025) |
| US Open | 1R (2025) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 12–15 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 171 (5 January 2026) |
| Current ranking | No. 172 (9 February 2026) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 1R (2026) |
| French Open | 2R (2025) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2025) |
| US Open | 2R (2025) |
| Last updated on: 9 February 2026. | |
Early life
Kartal was born in Sidcup, London, and lives in the city of Brighton and Hove.[2] She is of Turkish descent through her father.[3] She attended Saltdean Primary School and Longhill High School.[4]
She began playing tennis at the age of six after watching her older brother play.[5][6] She currently trains at Pavilion & Avenue tennis club in Hove.[7] Her favourite tennis players are Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters.[8]
Career
2021–22: WTA Tour and major debuts
Kartal won her first ITF title in November 2021, at the Antalya 15k event, beating Amarissa Toth in the final.[9] This was shortly followed by her second title (and her first on hardcourt) at Monastir $15k, defeating former world No. 40,[10] Ayumi Morita, in the final.[11]
Kartal won the women's title at the 2021 UK Pro League with a straight sets win over Freya Christie in the final.[12][13][14] She ended 2021 ranked 993.[citation needed]
She followed up her success in late 2021 early in the 2022 season, winning her third title at the 25k Birmingham event with a three-sets win over compatriot Talia Neilson Gatenby.[15][16] She won a second consecutive 25k title in Glasgow, beating Barbora Palicová.[17]
Kartal was part of the BJK Cup team for the qualifying tie in April 2022 when Great Britain faced the Czech team in Prague. However, she was not selected to play any matches.[18]
In May 2022, she won two consecutive singles titles in the third and fourth weeks of the 25k Nottingham events, beating Danielle Lao and Joanna Garland in the finals.[19][20]
During the grass-court season, Kartal defeated Lily Miyazaki in the first round at the 2022 Surbiton Trophy, before falling in the second round to top seed Madison Brengle.[21] She made her WTA Tour debut as a wildcard entrant at the 2022 Nottingham Open, where she lost in the first round to Camila Giorgi.[22][23] At the 2022 Ilkley Trophy, she reached her first semifinal at 100k level, losing in two tiebreakers to compatriot Jodie Burrage.[24]
Kartal was awarded wildcard entry into the main-draw at the Wimbledon Championships, where she made her major debut, losing in the first round to lucky loser Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove in three sets.[25][26][27]
In October, she posted a quarterfinal result at the W60 indoor event in Trnava, losing to the second seed Vitalia Diatchenko.[28] The following week at the W60 Trvana 2, she upset third seed Daria Snigur in the first round, but was forced to retire from her second-round match due to injury.[29] However, these performances allowed Kartal to make her top-200 debut and she ended the year ranked as world No. 198, almost 800 places above her 2021 year-end ranking.[30]
2023–2024: Wimbledon third round, WTA Tour title, top 100
At the 2023 Australian Open, Kartal lost in three sets to 21st seed Elizabeth Mandlik in the first qualifying round.[31] As a wildcard player, Kartal entered the W60 event in Sunderland, England, falling to former top-30 player Mona Barthel in the quarterfinals.[32]
In June 2024, ranked No. 295, she qualified for the first time at the Wimbledon Championships, earning a spot in the main draw, having received wildcards in the previous two editions.[33] She defeated 29th seed Sorana Cirstea[34] and world No. 45, Clara Burel.[35] She became the second British woman in the Open Era to reach the third round at this Major as a qualifier, and first since Karen Cross in 1997.[36] She lost her third round match to second seed Coco Gauff, going down in straight sets.[37]
In August 2024, Kartal lifted back-to-back W35 GB Pro Series trophies on hardcourts in Roehampton, England, her fourth and fifth titles at that level in the season.[38][39]
The following month, ranked No. 151, having made it through qualifying, she reached the first WTA Tour quarterfinal in her career at the 2024 Jasmin Open in Monastir, upsetting fifth seed Jaqueline Cristian, her third top 100 win of 2024,[40][41] and Mai Hontama.[42] Next, she defeated Yuliia Starodubtseva in straight sets,[43][44] and then Eva Lys in the semifinals by retirement, to reach her maiden WTA Tour final.[45][46][47][48] In the final, Kartal defeated Rebecca Šramková in straight sets. As a result, she broke into the top 100, rising 55 positions up to a new career-high of world No. 96 in the WTA singles rankings for the first time in her career.[49][50]
Kartal won her sixth ITF title of the year at the W100 in Shrewsbury in October 2024, defeating fellow Briton Heather Watson in the final.[51]
2025: Major fourth round, WTA 1000 quarterfinal, top 50
Kartal made her Australian Open main-draw debut, after securing direct entry thanks to her WTA ranking, but lost in the first round to Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro.[52][53] In February, after qualifying at the Abu Dhabi Open, she lost in the first round to fellow qualifier Katie Volynets, in three sets.[54] In March, she entered the main draw at Indian Wells as a lucky loser, making her WTA 1000 debut, and defeated qualifier Varvara Lepchenko,[55] before overcoming 16th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia to register her maiden win against a top-20 ranked player and to reach the third round of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time.[56][57] Next, she defeated Polina Kudermetova in straight sets,[58][59] before losing to world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, in the fourth round.[60] Despite the defeat, Kartal moved up 20 places in the WTA rankings to a new career-high of 63 on 17 March 2025.[61]
Kartal made her debut for the Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team against Germany in the 2025 qualifying round held in The Hague,[62] recording a win over Jule Niemeier in the opening singles match.[63] She then defeated Eva Vedder as Great Britain beat the Netherlands to secure a place at the finals.[64]
At the Madrid Open, Kartal overcame Jaqueline Cristian in the first round,[65] before losing her next match to 17th seed Elina Svitolina.[66] Also in her debut appearance at the Italian Open, she defeated Kimberly Birrell,[67] but lost to 30th seed Linda Nosková in the second round.[68] At the French Open where she also made her debut, Kartal defeated Erika Andreeva in the first round.[69][70] She lost her next match to Marie Bouzková.[71] Following Roland Garros, Kartal made her top 50 debut on 9 June 2025.[72]
Moving onto the grass-court season as a wildcard entrant at the Queen's Club Championships in London, Kartal defeated world No. 16 Daria Kasatkina in the first round,[73][74] before losing to eighth seed Amanda Anisimova.[75] The following week at the Nottingham Open, she overcame qualifier Léolia Jeanjean[76] to set up a second round match against two-time defending champion Katie Boulter which she lost in three sets.[77]
At Wimbledon, Kartal defeated 20th seed Jeļena Ostapenko,[78] Viktoriya Tomova[79] and qualifier Diane Parry to reach the fourth round at a major for the first time,[80] at which point she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.[81] Despite her loss, she reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 44 on 14 July 2025.[82]
Making her main-draw debut at the US Open, Kartal lost in the first round to 18th seed Haddad Maia in three sets.[83] At the BJK Cup finals, Kartal defeated Ena Shibahara in straight sets as Great Britain overcame Japan 2–0 to reach the semifinals.[84] In the last four, she lost to Emma Navarro in three sets as the team were eliminated 2–0 by the USA.[85] At the China Open, Kartal defeated Alycia Parks,[86] 14th seed Daria Kasatkina[87] and Maya Joint to make it into the fourth round.[88] She then overcame world No. 5, Mirra Andreeva, in three sets for her first win against a top-10 ranked player and to advance to her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal.[89][90] Her run was ended in the last eight by 26th seed Linda Nosková.[91]
Kartal was named 2025 Lawn Tennis Association female player of the year.[92]
2026: Auckland and Abu Dhabi quarterfinals
Kartal started her 2026 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, where she defeated sixth seed Janice Tjen[93] and Ella Seidel,[94] before her run was ended in the quarterfinals by top seed and eventual champion Elina Svitolina in a match which went to a deciding set tiebreak.[95] At the Australian Open, she lost in the first round to 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya.[96]
In February, Kartal qualified for the main-draw at the Abu Dhabi Open and recorded wins over Cristina Bucșa[97] and lucky loser Renata Zarazua [98] to make it through to the quarterfinals at which point she lost to fellow qualifier Sára Bejlek.[99] The following week, she qualified for the main-draw at the Qatar Open, but lost to Magda Linette in the first round.[100]
At the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, Kartal defeated Lanlana Tararudee,[101] 20th seed Emma Navarro[102] and 15th seed Madison Keys to reach the fourth round for the second successive year.[103] She retired due to a lower back injury after losing the first set of her fourth round match against third seed Elena Rybakina.[104] Kartal subsequently withdrew from the Miami Open having failed to recover from the injury.[105] She also dropped out of the Great Britain squad for their BJK Cup qualifier against Australia.[106]
Performance timelines
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | P# | DNQ | A | Z# | PO | G | S | B | NMS | NTI | P | NH |
Singles
| Tournament | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | Q1 | A | 1R | 1R | 0–2 |
| French Open | A | Q1 | A | 2R | 1–1 | |
| Wimbledon | 1R | 1R | 3R | 4R | 5–4 | |
| US Open | Q1 | A | Q3 | 1R | 0–1 | |
| Win–loss | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 4–4 | 6–8 | |
| Indian Wells | A | A | A | 4R | 4R | 6–2 |
| Miami | A | A | A | Q2 | 0–1 | |
| Madrid | A | A | A | 2R | 1–1 | |
| Rome | A | A | A | 2R | 1–1 | |
| Cincinnati | A | A | A | 1R | 0–1 | |
| China | A | A | A | QF | 4–1 | |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 9–5 | 3-1 | 6–7 |
WTA Tour finals
Singles: 1 (title)
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Sep 2024 | Jasmin Open, Tunisia | WTA 250 | Hard |  Rebecca Šramková |
6–3, 7–5 |
ITF Circuit finals
Singles: 16 (14 titles, 2 runners-up)
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Oct 2021 | ITF Antalya, Turkey | W15 | Clay |  Rosa Vicens Mas |
1–6, 6–2, 3–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Oct 2021 | ITF Antalya, Turkey | W15 | Clay |  Amarissa Tóth |
7–5, 7–5 |
| Win | 2–1 | Nov 2021 | ITF Monastir, Tunisia | W15 | Hard |  Ayumi Morita |
6–1, 6–2 |
| Win | 3–1 | Feb 2022 | ITF Birmingham, United Kingdom | W25 | Hard (i) | Talia Neilson Gatenby |
5–7, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Win | 4–1 | Feb 2022 | GB Pro-Series Glasgow, UK | W25 | Hard (i) |  Barbora Palicová |
7–6(5), 7–5 |
| Win | 5–1 | May 2022 | ITF Nottingham, UK | W25 | Hard |  Danielle Lao |
6–1, 6–0 |
| Win | 6–1 | May 2022 | ITF Nottingham, UK | W25 | Hard |  Joanna Garland |
6–3, 6–1 |
| Win | 7–1 | Apr 2023 | ITF Santa Margherita di Pula, Italy | W25 | Clay |  Ekaterina Makarova |
3–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| Win | 8–1 | Sept 2023 | ITF Leiria, Portugal | W25 | Hard | Anastasia Zakharova |
7–6(5), 1–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 9–1 | Jan 2024 | ITF Loughborough, UK | W35 | Hard (i) |  Manon Léonard |
6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 10–1 | Apr 2024 | ITF Nottingham, UK | W35 | Hard |  Klaudija Bubelytė |
6–1, 6–4 |
| Win | 11–1 | May 2024 | ITF Monzón, Spain | W35 | Hard | Linda Klimovičová |
6–1, 6–0 |
| Win | 12–1 | Jul 2024 | ITF Roehampton, UK | W35 | Hard |  Nastasja Schunk |
7–5, 6–1 |
| Win | 13–1 | Aug 2024 | ITF Roehampton, UK | W35 | Hard | Haruka Kaji |
6–3, 6–1 |
| Win | 14–1 | Oct 2024 | GB Pro-Series Shrewsbury, UK | W100 | Hard (i) | Heather Watson |
7–5, 4–1 ret. |
| Loss | 14–2 | Oct 2024 | Hamburg Ladies Cup, Germany | W75 | Hard (i) | Mona Barthel |
4–6, 6–7(6) |
Wins against top 10 players
- Kartal has a 1–2 record against players who were, at the time the match was played, ranked in the top 10.[107]
| No. | Player | Rk | Event | Surface | Rd | Score | Rk | Years | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mirra Andreeva |
5 | China Open, China | Hard | 4R | 7–5, 2–6, 7–5 | 81 | 2025 | [90] |
- Key: (Rk) first use, opponent rank; (Rd) round; (Rk) 2nd use, player rank; (Ref) reference; (F) final; (SF) semifinal; (QF) quarterfinal; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage
