How Sonay Kartal’s rise is pushing British women’s tennis to new heights
One of the subplots of the first women’s Queen’s tournament in over half a century is the battle raging (quietly and sportingly) for the coveted position of British No 1. At the moment it’s between the world No 34 Katie Boulter and No 37 Emma Raducanu.
But earlier this week another British woman made her debut in the world’s top 50, and could yet have a say in the destination of that prestigious spot: Sonay Kartal. The 23-year-old does not have quite the same profile as her slightly higher-ranked counterparts, nor is she – yet – a household name. You get the sense she prefers it that way.
But that state of affairs feels unlikely to last. This time a year ago Kartal was only a shade inside the world’s top 300. By the end of 2024 she had broken into the top 100 and won her maiden WTA title, in Monastir, Tunisia.
Six months on from her top 100 debut, her rise has continued, with a fourth-round appearance at Indian Wells marking her best result at a WTA 1000. Her increasing assurance that this stage is where she belongs was borne out by her first top-20 victory, over then-world No 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia.
And in a week that marks the first time women have played at Queen’s since 1973, the rankings reflect a golden period for British women’s tennis. It is the first time three British women have been ranked in the world’s top 50 since 1986.
Her clay season featured a maiden win at Roland-Garros, following a brilliant start to life on the surface with two wins from two at the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers – her debut in the competition – and while there was no dream run in Paris, she switched seamlessly to grass. Her first match at Queen’s was the biggest victory of her career by ranking, as she overpowered world No 16 Daria Kasatkina in three sets on Monday.
After years of toiling on the lower-level ITF circuit, Kartal’s rise on the WTA Tour has been rapid and impressive, underpinned by a composed attitude and thunderous forehand.
But she received something of a wakeup call on Wednesday as her career-best win was followed by a hammering at the hands of the player ranked immediately above Kasatkina.
Amanda Anisimova, 23, was one of the sport’s most brilliant teenage prodigies, reaching the last four at Roland-Garros aged 17, and also has pedigree on the grass, reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2022. Since returning from an eight-month mental health break in 2023, the American has scaled new heights, winning her first WTA 1000 title in Doha this February. She represented another tough opponent, and a reminder of the gulf between the lower end of the top 50 and the upper.
After Emma Navarro took nearly three hours to see off Beatriz Haddad Maia, coming back from a 6-1 rout in the first set to take the next two 7-6, 7-5, the crowds were slow to file back into the Andy Murray Arena. Those off on a much-needed break for Pimm’s, water and sun cream may have missed Kartal falling victim to a 6-1 drubbing of her own inside 25 minutes.
Her topspin-heavy forehand was sent back with interest by Anisimova’s flat, precise groundstrokes, drawing reluctant oohs and ahhs from the partisan crowd. At her best, the American has some of the cleanest, purest shots on the tour, and this was her gracefully brutal style at its best.
Perhaps inspired by Navarro’s comeback, Kartal fought back in the second set. She broke in the opening game, capitalising on a series of Anisimova errors as the American’s level dropped.
But she was immediately pegged back, and after three consecutive breaks of serve from the fourth game, the advantage was back with the eighth seed. Shouts of frustration accompanied two successive double faults on match point, but she got it done at the third time of asking as Kartal sprayed a forehand long. It was a swift, efficient victory in a little over an hour, a far cry from the earlier epic on the same court.
For Kartal, while it was a disappointing end to a week that had started so well, it was also a reminder of the next target she must aim for. Afterwards, she said, “You just take it on the chin. Obviously disappointing today, but tomorrow, we get back to training and get ready for the next one. I can’t get too hung up on today.”
She will play in Nottingham and Eastbourne before Wimbledon, where she reached the second round last year – putting Coco Gauff through her paces in the first set of their encounter.
“Despite today, it’s been a positive week. I can take a lot of confidence into next week. It’s becoming more normal for me now [playing the top players]; every week now I’m playing the better events.” The Brit’s rise has been impressive, but as she knows, there is always further to go.
