Sonay Kartal Bio
Sonay Kartal (born 28 October 2001) is a British professional tennis player who has rapidly climbed the global rankings. She has set career-high marks of world No. 44 in singles, achieved on 14 July 2025, and world No. 174 in doubles, reached on 15 September 2025. Kartal has won one WTA Tour title and 14 ITF singles titles, and she currently serves as the British No. 2 in singles. Trained in Brighton and Hove, she represents Great Britain in major international competitions and the Billie Jean King Cup.
Early Life and Background
Sonay Kartal was born in Sidcup, London, and is of Turkish descent through her father. She later settled in the city of Brighton and Hove, where she continues to live and train. Kartal attended Longhill High School during her formative years.
Kartal first picked up a tennis racket at the age of six, inspired by watching her older brother play the sport. She currently trains at the Pavilion and Avenue Tennis Club in Hove. Among her favorite tennis players are Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters, two figures whose all-court games have shaped her own competitive ideals.
Path to Professional Tennis
Kartal’s transition from junior tennis to the professional circuit began in 2019, the year she started her senior career on the ITF Circuit. She claimed her first ITF title in November 2021 at the Antalya 15k event, beating Amarissa Toth in the final, and quickly added a second trophy at a $15k tournament in Monastir on hardcourt. She closed 2021 ranked 993 in the world.
Her development accelerated in 2022 with consecutive 25k titles in Birmingham, Glasgow, and Nottingham, alongside her women’s UK Pro League crown. She was selected for Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup squad for the qualifying tie in Prague against the Czech Republic, and she made her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon 2022 as a wildcard. By year’s end, Kartal had broken into the world’s top 200, finishing 2022 ranked No. 198.
Sonay Kartal Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Kartal’s first notable results came at the lower levels of the ITF Circuit, where she demonstrated consistency on both clay and hardcourts. Two 25k titles in 2022, plus a W60 quarterfinal in Trnava, helped her establish a foothold inside the WTA’s top 200.
Her Grand Slam debut at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships provided a taste of the highest level, although she exited in the first round to Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove. Even so, the experience laid a foundation for the larger stages she would later command.
Wimbledon Breakthrough (2024–2025)
Ranked No. 295, Kartal qualified for the first time at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships and stunned 29th seed Sorana Cirstea and world No. 45 Clara Burel to reach the third round. She became only the second British woman in the Open Era to reach the third round at Wimbledon as a qualifier, and the first since Karen Cross in 1997, before falling to second seed Coco Gauff in straight sets.
In 2025, Kartal returned to the All England Club and produced her deepest run at a major. She defeated 20th seed Jeļena Ostapenko, Viktoriya Tomova, and qualifier Diane Parry to reach the fourth round, where she was ultimately stopped by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The run elevated her to a new career-high ranking of world No. 44 on 14 July 2025.
WTA Tour Title Era (2024)
Kartal captured her maiden WTA Tour title in September 2024 at the Jasmin Open in Monastir. Ranked No. 151, she upset fifth seed Jaqueline Cristian, Mai Hontama, Yuliia Starodubtseva, and Eva Lys to reach the final, where she beat Rebecca Šramková in straight sets. The title lifted her into the top 100 for the first time, moving 55 places to a career-high No. 96.
She added her sixth ITF trophy of the 2024 season at the W100 in Shrewsbury, defeating fellow Briton Heather Watson in the final. Earlier in the summer, she had lifted back-to-back W35 GB Pro Series titles in Roehampton, completing one of the most productive stretches of her career.
WTA 1000 and Major Breakthroughs (2025)
Kartal’s 2025 season began with a WTA 1000 breakthrough at Indian Wells, where she defeated 16th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia for her first win against a top-20 player and advanced to the fourth round before falling to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. She later added a first top-10 win at the China Open, beating world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva in three sets to reach her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Across the Grand Slams, Kartal debuted at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open, and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. She also recorded first-round wins at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, two of the most demanding clay events on tour, confirming her ability to compete across surfaces.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kartal plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand and is comfortable on both hardcourts and grass. Her game rewards aggressive baseline play, accurate returning, and a willingness to step inside the court against higher-ranked opponents. Working with her coaching team at Pavilion and Avenue, she has built the fitness and tactical discipline needed for the longer rallies common in women’s tennis.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her signature milestones include her 2024 Jasmin Open title, her third-round run at Wimbledon 2024 as a qualifier, and her fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon 2025. The 2025 victory over world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva at the China Open stands as a landmark result, highlighting her rapid rise toward the elite of the game.
Sonay Kartal Career Wins
Sonay Kartal has accumulated 14 ITF singles titles and one WTA Tour singles title across her career. Her victories span hardcourt, clay, and indoor events, with her biggest trophies coming on the WTA Tour and at W100 level.
WTA Tour Highlights
Kartal’s first WTA Tour title came at the 2024 Jasmin Open in Monastir, where she defeated Rebecca Šramková in straight sets to claim the trophy. The win signaled her arrival on the main tour and pushed her into the top 100 for the first time.
Other Wins and Performances
She has lifted multiple ITF trophies at 15k, 25k, W35, and W100 levels, with notable victories at events in Antalya, Monastir, Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham, Roehampton, and Shrewsbury. She also won the 2021 UK Pro League women’s title, defeating Freya Christie in the final.
Sonay Kartal Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Sonay Kartal is of Turkish descent through her father, a family connection she has acknowledged as part of her cultural background. She began playing tennis at the age of six after watching her older brother play, an early influence that introduced her to the sport.
Personal Life
Kartal lives in Brighton, England, and trains at the Pavilion and Avenue Tennis Club in Hove. She is focused on her professional tennis career, and public details about her personal relationships are not widely documented.
2025 Season Performance
Sonay Kartal’s 2025 season has been her most complete on tour, highlighted by a fourth-round run at Wimbledon and a maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal at the China Open. She recorded her first wins over top-20 and top-10 opponents, lifted her ranking into the world’s top 50, and made her main-draw debuts at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open. Her results reflect a player steadily closing the gap on the elite tier of the WTA.
On the team front, Kartal debuted for Great Britain in the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup qualifying round against Germany in The Hague, defeating Jule Niemeier. She then helped Great Britain beat the Netherlands to reach the finals, where she won again over Ena Shibahara against Japan before a semifinal loss to Emma Navarro as the team fell to the United States.
Looking ahead, Kartal will look to consolidate her place in the top 50, push deeper into the second week of Grand Slams, and compete regularly in the main draws of WTA 1000 events. With momentum, ranking gains, and proven wins over top opposition, the British No. 2 is well placed to build on her strongest season yet.