Emma Raducanu could lose British No 2 ranking as old rival closes in
The fairytale rise of Sonay Kartal continued as she made it through to the last-16 of the WTA 1000 tournament at Indian Wells – and now she is eyeing up a significant rankings breakthrough.
Kartal, 23, lost in qualifying for Indian Wells, but was given a chance to play in the main draw after injuries ruled other players out.
Now the player who bounced back from a serious heath condition last year to kick-start her career has claimed three wins in one of the marquee events on the WTA Tour, with her latest a hugely impressive 7-5, 6-3 against Polina Kudermetova.
Kartal looked set to lose the opening set as world No 60 Kudermetova held three set points at 40-0 in the tenth game, but she lost her way ins dramatic fashion and never recovered as Kartal moved into her first WTA 1000 last-16.
The win has pushed the gutsy performer up to No 63 in the live WTA Rankings, which is just three places behind British No 2 Emma Raducanu.
Kartal and Raducanu were rivals in their junior days coming through the ranks in Britain, but it was the latter who broke through first as she won the US Open in sensational fashion in 2021.
Injuries and health issues affected Kartal’s hopes of following in Raducanu’s footsteps initially, but she is making big strides up the rankings now.
After some impressive title wins on the ITF World Tennis Tour over the last couple of years, she reached the third round at Wimbledon last year and established herself in the top 100 of the WTA Rankings.
Now this run at Indian Wells has taken her story to the next level, with Kartal refusing to get carried away by one of the best weeks of her career.
After her helath scare a year ago, Kartal’s is one of the great stories in tennis and she reflected on her progress in an interview with the LTA.
“It’s been an unbelievable year,” said the British No 3. “At the start of the 2024, I wanted to reach the top 150 and in that week in Tunisia I did that and then went on to reach the top 100 as well. I didn’t expect that – Wimbledon was my first main draw tour win.
“It’s a lifelong goal – I think everyone wants to hit that milestone (breaking top 100). I didn’t think that I’d hit it the way I did in the space of just a few months.
“Going into Wimbledon was much different, coming through qualifying, but I think it was the best thing. Going into the first round after qualifying was a quick turnaround, only a few days, but I already had three great matches under my belt.
“I saw the draw and knew it would be tough and in the back of my head I did have that I lost in the first round the last two years – but this year felt different.
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“I was so much calmer; I had spent more time on the bigger stage, and you start to get more familiar with the area. I was playing well; I was on a roll, and I felt comfortable.
“After the second round I saw who I was playing and I know it was going to either be Centre Court or No.1 Court, which was super exciting – it’s not every day you get to do that. Walking out onto the court I just wanted to take everything in and enjoy it.
“My next-door neighbour had no idea I played tennis before but when I came back, he was absolutely chuffed. During Wimbledon I turned my phone off so I had no idea what was going on but when I got home, I was definitely recognised a lot more.
“If you look at my career, I’ve always worked my way up through the levels – I’ve never just jumped up. I think they have been super good for me (the Performance Competitions Calendar events in the UK). Winning those tournaments gives you a lot of confidence and going into those bigger matches this year, I felt I had that.”
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