Sonay Kartal Bio
Sonay Kartal is a British professional tennis player born on 28 October 2001 in London, England. She turned professional in 2019 and has built a steady rise through the ITF Circuit before breaking into the WTA Tour’s top tier. Kartal has won one WTA Tour title and 14 ITF singles titles, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. 44 on 14 July 2025. Known for her right-handed play with a two-handed backhand, she is currently ranked as British No. 2 in women’s singles and trains at the Pavilion & Avenue tennis club in Hove.
Early Life and Background
Sonay Kartal was born in Sidcup, a district in southeast London, to a family of Turkish descent through her father. She grew up in the Brighton and Hove area, where she attended Saltdean Primary School and later Longhill High School. The seaside city’s strong grassroots tennis scene helped shape her early development as a player.
Kartal first picked up a racket at the age of six after watching her older brother play the sport. Inspired by that family connection, she joined local training programs and quickly showed a natural feel for the game. Her favorite players growing up were Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters, both known for graceful movement and competitive grit.
Path to Tennis
Kartal’s competitive journey began on the ITF Circuit, where she learned the rhythms of professional tennis week after week. Her breakthrough came in November 2021 at the Antalya 15k event, where she won her first ITF title by defeating Amarissa Toth in the final. Within weeks, she added a second title in Monastir, beating former world No. 40 Ayumi Morita for her first hardcourt trophy.
By the end of 2022, Kartal had climbed from outside the top 900 to inside the top 200, a jump of nearly 800 places. That rapid rise earned her a wildcard into the Wimbledon Championships main draw and set the stage for her WTA Tour debut at the 2022 Nottingham Open.
Sonay Kartal Career
Early Career (2019–2022)
Kartal turned professional in 2019 and spent her first seasons building match experience on the ITF Circuit. Her 2021 campaign included a UK Pro League women’s title and two ITF singles trophies, lifting her year-end ranking to world No. 993.
The 2022 season marked her transition to higher-level events. She won back-to-back 25k titles in Birmingham and Glasgow, took two more 25k titles in Nottingham, and reached her first 100k semifinal at the Ilkley Trophy. Her Wimbledon main-draw debut, awarded on a wildcard, ended in a first-round loss, but the experience laid a foundation for future success.
WTA Tour Breakthrough (2023–2024)
Kartal’s real breakthrough arrived at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where she qualified for the main draw for the first time. Ranked No. 295, she stunned 29th seed Sorana Cirstea and world No. 45 Clara Burel before falling to second seed Coco Gauff in the third round. She became only the second British woman in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon third round as a qualifier.
Later in 2024, Kartal won her maiden WTA Tour title at the Jasmin Open in Monastir, defeating Rebecca Šramková in straight sets. That title pushed her into the WTA top 100 for the first time, reaching a career-high No. 96 ranking.
Top 50 and Major Fourth Round (2025)
The 2025 season saw Kartal reach new heights. At Indian Wells, she registered her first win over a top-20 player, beating Beatriz Haddad Maia, and advanced to the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event for the first time. By June 2025, she had broken into the top 50 for the first time.
At Wimbledon 2025, Kartal defeated 20th seed Jeļena Ostapenko, Viktoriya Tomova, and qualifier Diane Parry to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam, ultimately losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She ended 2025 named the Lawn Tennis Association’s female player of the year.
2026 Season
Kartal opened 2026 with a quarterfinal run at the ASB Classic in Auckland, defeating sixth seed Janice Tjen before losing to top seed Elina Svitolina. At the Australian Open, she fell in the first round to 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya.
In February 2026, Kartal reached the quarterfinals at the Abu Dhabi Open after wins over Cristina Bucșa and Renata Zarazua. At the WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells, she defeated 20th seed Emma Navarro and 15th seed Madison Keys before retiring with a lower back injury during her fourth-round match against Elena Rybakina. The injury forced her to withdraw from the Miami Open and miss both the French Open and Wimbledon.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kartal plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand and combines steady baseline rallies with aggressive shot-making on both surfaces. Her hardcourt game is built on consistent depth and clean ball-striking, while her grass-court movement and willingness to attack short balls have fueled strong showings in the British summer swing. Working with coaches Julie Hobbs, Ben Reeves, and Martin Reeves, she has steadily improved her tactical variety and court craft.
Notable Events and Milestones
Kartal’s signature moment came at Wimbledon 2024, when she became the first British woman since Karen Cross in 1997 to reach the Open Era third round as a qualifier. In 2025, she recorded her first win over a top-10 player, defeating world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva at the China Open to reach her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Sonay Kartal Career Wins
Sonay Kartal has compiled a strong collection of titles across the ITF Circuit and WTA Tour, with 14 ITF singles trophies and one WTA Tour title. Her win total reflects steady progress through the development pathways of women’s tennis.
WTA Tour Highlights
Kartal’s only WTA Tour singles title came at the 2024 Jasmin Open in Monastir, where she swept past Rebecca Šramková in straight sets to lift the trophy. That title propelled her into the WTA top 100 for the first time.
Other Wins and Performances
On the ITF Circuit, Kartal has collected 14 singles titles at various levels, including trophies at Antalya, Monastir, Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham, Roehampton, and Shrewsbury. She has also contributed key wins in Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup campaigns, including victories over Jule Niemeier, Eva Vedder, and Ena Shibahara in 2025.
Sonay Kartal Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Sonay Kartal comes from a family of Turkish descent through her father’s side. Her older brother first introduced her to tennis, sparking the early interest that shaped her career path.
Personal Life
Kartal currently resides in Brighton, England, where she trains at the Pavilion & Avenue tennis club in Hove. She keeps her personal and family life largely private and focuses on her professional tennis career.
2025 Season Performance
Sonay Kartal’s 2025 season was her breakthrough year on the WTA Tour. She made her Australian Open main-draw debut, recorded her first WTA 1000 fourth-round appearance at Indian Wells, and won her first match over a top-20 player in the process. She also broke into the WTA top 50 for the first time and reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal at the China Open.
At Wimbledon, Kartal’s run to the fourth round marked the deepest Grand Slam showing of her career to that point. She followed it with key Billie Jean King Cup wins that helped Great Britain reach the BJK Cup semifinals, where the team was eliminated by the USA.
The season closed with Kartal being named the Lawn Tennis Association’s female player of the year. With her ranking at No. 44 and growing experience at the highest level, she has positioned herself as one of Britain’s most promising singles players heading into the next season.
