Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Sonay Kartal

How Sonay Kartal built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Sonay Kartal is a British professional tennis player. She achieved career-high rankings of world No. 44 in singles (July 14, 2025) and No. 174 in doubles (September 15, 2025). Kartal has won one WTA Tour title and 14 ITF titles, all in singles competitions.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1997: Karen Cross Reached Third Round

In 1997, Karen Cross was the first British woman in the Open Era to reach the third round at Wimbledon Championships as a qualifier.

November 2021: First Title at Antalya 15k event

In November 2021, Kartal won her first title at the Antalya 15k event, defeating Amarissa Toth in the final.

2021: UK Pro League Title

In 2021, Kartal won the women's title at the UK Pro League with a 6–0, 6–1 win over Freya Christie in the final. She ended 2021 ranked 993.

2021: Year-End Ranking

Kartal ended 2021 ranked No. 198, almost 800 places above her 2021 year-end ranking.

April 2022: BJK Cup Team Selection

In April 2022, Kartal was part of the BJK Cup team for the qualifying tie in Prague, when Great Britain faced the Czech team. However, she was not selected to play any matches.

2022: Third Title at Birmingham 25k event

Early in the 2022 season, Kartal won her third title at the 25k Birmingham event with a three-sets win over Talia Neilson Gatenby. She also won a second consecutive 25k title in Glasgow, beating Barbora Palicová.

2022: Wimbledon Championships Debut

In 2022, Kartal was awarded a main-draw wildcard at the Wimbledon Championships, where she made her major debut, losing in the first round to Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove, in three sets.

2023: Australian Open Qualifying Round Loss

At the 2023 Australian Open, Kartal lost in three sets to 21st seed Elizabeth Mandlik in the first qualifying round.

June 2024: Wimbledon Championships Qualification

In June 2024, ranked No. 295, Kartal qualified for the first time at the Wimbledon Championships, earning a spot in the main draw. She defeated Sorana Cirstea and Clara Burel, becoming the second British woman in the Open Era to reach the third round as a qualifier. She lost in the third round to Coco Gauff.

2024: WTA Tour Quarterfinal and Maiden Final

In September 2024, Kartal reached her first WTA Tour quarterfinal at the Jasmin Open in Monastir, Tunisia. She then defeated Rebecca Šramková in the final, and as a result, broke into the top 100, rising to a new career-high of world No. 96.

March 2025: WTA 1000 Debut and Top-20 Win

In March 2025, Kartal entered the main draw at Indian Wells as a lucky loser, making her WTA 1000 debut. She defeated Varvara Lepchenko and Beatriz Haddad Maia, registering her maiden win against a top-20 ranked player. She reached the third round and defeated Polina Kudermetova before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round. She moved up to a new career-high of 63 on March 17, 2025.

June 2025: Top 50 Debut

Following Roland Garros, Kartal made her top 50 debut on June 9, 2025.

July 2025: Wimbledon Fourth Round

In July 2025, At Wimbledon, Kartal defeated Jeļena Ostapenko, Viktoriya Tomova and Diane Parry to reach the fourth round, before losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Following that she reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 44 on July 14, 2025.

July 2025: Career-High Singles Ranking

In July 2025, Sonay Kartal achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 44.

September 2025: Career-High Doubles Ranking

In September 2025, Sonay Kartal achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 174.

2025: Billie Jean King Cup Debut

In 2025, Kartal made her debut for the Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team against Germany, recording a win over Jule Niemeier. She also defeated Eva Vedder as Great Britain secured a place at the finals.