Brighton's Sonay Kartal celebrates after winning against Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in the women's singles first round at Wimbledonplaceholder image
Brighton's Sonay Kartal celebrates after winning against Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in the women's singles first round at Wimbledon
Sussex tennis player Sonay Kartal delivered a career-best performance to advance at Wimbledon
Brighton’s Sonay Kartal gave Britain’s singles players a great start to the Wimbledon fortnight by ousting 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko.
Ostapenko, a former semi-finalist back in 2018, defeated Kartal in Eastbourne last week in straight sets but the British number three delighted the sun-baked crowd on Court Three with a 7-5 2-6 6-2 victory.
It is Kartal’s third best win by ranking of her career and her best at a grand slam, with the 23-year-old producing another strong performance at the All England Club after reaching the third round as a qualifier 12 months ago.
A tough start for Kartal
Things did not begin well for Kartal, who was quickly 3-0 down and finding little answer to the power hitting of her Latvian opponent.
Ostapenko had three set points at 5-4 after Kartal had retrieved the early break but the British player, ranked 51, held firm and took full advantage of her opponent’s disappointment to make it five games in a row and win the opener.
Ostapenko responded well to level the match but Kartal did not allow the contest to get away from her, breaking serve early in the decider and racing into a 5-0 lead.
Ostapenko’s body language indicated she would be more than happy to get off the court and, although she rallied to win two games, Kartal served out the victory at the second time of asking.
Who is Sonay Kartal?
Kartal, 23, is the British No 3 and ranked 51st in the World. The Brighton based player has made huge strides since reaching the third round of Wimbledon as a qualifier last summer, including winning a first WTA Tour title.
Kartel was born on October 28, 2001, in Sidcup, London. She currently resides in Brighton, and is of Turkish descent through her Istanbul-born father.
Kartal began playing tennis at age six and was inspired by her older brother, and trains at the Pavilion & Avenue Tennis Club in Hove.
She is a right-handed player but initially played left-handed before switching. Kartal is known for her powerful forehand and disruptive playing style which has helped her rise rapidly in the WTA rankings, achieving a career-high singles ranking of world No. 49 in June 2025.
Kartal turned professional in 2019, competing on the ITF Circuit, where she has won 14 titles. Her breakthrough came in 2024, winning her first WTA Tour title at the Jasmin Open in Monastir, Tunisia, becoming the first qualifier to win a WTA singles title that season. She also reached the third round at Wimbledon as a qualifier, a feat not achieved by a British woman since 1997.
Despite health challenges in early 2024, Kartal’s resilience has propelled her towards the top 50. Not many will fancy playing her in the next round at Wimbledon.
‘One of my toughest matches’
"That was by far one of the toughest matches I've played,” she said on court after the victory. “I would say that I struggle against the big hitters, so getting that win today after her beating me last week was great. I appreciate all of you guys coming out. You guys were there when I needed you the most.
"I've made a conscious effort this year to play the bigger matches and put myself under the most pressure out on court. I knew that I wouldn't get the results straightaway but that it would eventually pay off, and that's what happened today."
On her run at Wimbledon last year: "It was probably one of the best tournaments I've ever had and my most favourite. I left here last year feeling a much more confident player, on and off the court. I knew my level was there but I had to force it out of myself.
"Throughout this whole year, I've felt I'm playing better and improving each week so I want to see how far I can go."
When and who does she play next?
In the second round, Kartal will face Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, who profited from Ons Jabeur’s retirement. The match is scheduled for Wednesday July 2.
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