Sonay Kartal Aims for British No. 1 and Wimbledon Glory

WIMBLEDON, England — Sonay Kartal, a 23-year-old tennis player from Brighton and Hove, has her sights set on both a quarter-final berth at Wimbledon and becoming the British No. 1. Kartal is the last British woman remaining in the singles draw after Emma Raducanu‘s loss to top seed Aryna Sabalenka on July 4.

If Kartal defeats Russian veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, she will be the first British female player to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since Johanna Konta in 2019. Furthermore, a win would elevate Kartal past Raducanu and Katie Boulter in the national rankings.

Remarkably, Kartal was ranked 298 just a year ago. Her impressive journey to the fourth round includes victories over Jelena Ostapenko, Viktoriya Tomova, and Diane Parry. “The drive comes from myself. I’m super disciplined. I’m super determined. When I set my mind to something, I want to achieve it,” she said following her latest match.

Kartal made her Wimbledon debut last year, reaching the third round before losing to Coco Gauff. This year, she feels that her performance is improving significantly, especially after defeating a top-20 player, Beatriz Haddad Maia, at Indian Wells in March.

“I still felt like in the matches I won and lost, the margins I lost by were getting smaller,” she stated. “Each match this week has helped me accumulate experience and confidence moving forward.”

In addition to her on-court achievements, Kartal’s backstory is inspiring. She grew up in a modest household, with her father running two Turkish restaurants, and initially played football and cricket until the age of 13. “I was always up front in football, and in cricket, I would just whack the ball as hard as I could,” she recalled.

With her blend of talent and determination, Kartal is not just a rising star; she represents a beacon of hope for those outside the traditional tennis elite. “If I can inspire kids, that’s good,” she concluded.