Sonay Kartal: The unlikely heroine flying the flag for Britain
We also now know that it was almost over before it started, with Kartal revealing ahead of her big Centre Court debut on Sunday how her baby steps in tennis – at the Pavilion & Avenue club in Brighton – became tinged with fear and anxiety.
Advertisement
'We used to do this thing called the lines game, it's a little warm-up,' she said. 'They'd shout, 'service line', and all the kids had to run to the service line. That was always the first game and I was too shy for three months to actually come on court. My coach Julie [Hobbs] finally managed to get me to do it. I tried to run to the outside tramline, tripped over, burst into tears. Off I went, and I didn't come back for a couple of months.'
It is a story that plenty of parents and children will relate to, with Hobbs, a former British No 1, eventually coaxing her back to the sport. Fast forward 17 years and you did not need long around a packed Court 16 on Saturday to feel the impact that Kartal is having. Fresh from three brilliant singles wins, she was in doubles action alongside her friend Jodie Burrage in front of a distinctly youthful audience.
Kartal has attracted a youthful following after a successful first week at Wimbledon - Getty Images/Rob Newell
Kartal, who is now 23 and the last remaining British woman in the singles draw, hopes that her story can particularly inspire girls who are shy about sport.
Advertisement
'My coach has a daughter and she was super shy, got into tennis and has changed like a completely different person,' she said. 'She's got so much more personality, she's so much more talkative.' And is playing sport becoming cooler for girls? 'I think it's changing,' she says. 'I think now a lot of girls are getting more comfortable with having more muscle on their body. I think that's turning, which is obviously incredible.
'I don't think anyone should feel like girls have to look a certain way. I think that's changing in tennis as well. You look at the tennis players, everyone's all different physiques and sizes and heights. So, it's definitely getting more versatile. If I can inspire kids, whether that's boys or girls, then I'm obviously doing something good.'
Kartal played football and cricket at a similar level to her tennis until she was 13 and is a self-confessed sports lover. 'I was a little bit of a tomboy and super sporty,' she said. 'I loved football. My school actually used to have a lot of girls football and I used to go to my local park with my dad. In cricket I was always the batter and just launching [the ball] as far as I could.'
Saturday's doubles might not have gone to plan – Kartal and Burrage were beaten in straight sets – but her partner could sense the buzz. Kartal had been informed that she would be first up on Centre Court at 1.30pm on Sunday against the Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova just before stepping on court with Burrage.
Advertisement
'Her story shows there's not one way to do what we do – but multiple ways,' said Burrage. 'She has done incredible – and she is going to go a lot higher. For everyone out there, regardless of where you are from, you can do it if you put your mind to it – especially like this chick here. That's the moral of this story.'
Kartal's ranking has risen from 864 in 2022 to the world's top 50 – she will overtake Emma Raducanu as the British No 2 once Wimbledon is done and dusted – and Burrage clearly does not think the story will end against Pavlyuchenkova. 'I've got full belief,' she said.
Kartal goes into the match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in confident mood - Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph
There certainly seems little chance of the attention going to Kartal's head. She was six when she made that first trip to a tennis club following an invitation from a tennis official who had eaten at one of her father's two Turkish restaurants. And, while she was competitive against players like Emma Raducana through the British junior rankings, has largely progressed in senior tennis away from the limelight.
Advertisement
Kartal's social media remains largely fixated with animals or food and, perhaps most telling of all, she has resisted inevitable pressure to change a coaching team that, as well as Hobbs, also still includes Ben and Martin Reeves from her original club in Brighton.
'I was hearing people saying, you know, 'Do you think you should get a coach that has already done that?' But I didn't want that. If I can have a coach that can take me from a six-year-old to the WTA Tour, I think that's obviously good enough. We just learned together. It's kind of doing this crazy thing together.
Kartal did find herself being recognised during a 'tricky' trip to the shops near Wimbledon on Friday night and her phone has been flooded with suggestions for her next tattoo. They have included one of Centre Court itself, a vintage polo shirt in recognition of her distinctive Adidas playing top and, from Burrage, an image of fire and ice. 'I actually like that,' she said.
Among other things, Kartal is known for her tattoos - Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph
Fans are now suggesting what tattoo Kartal gets next - Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph
She has, until now, remained a member of the same no-thrills High Street gym in Brighton, although wonders if she may now have to review that arrangement. 'It was getting a bit tricky prior [to Wimbledon]. But to be honest they were actually pretty respectful there [at the gym]. They would just say hello and then just let me get on with it. So maybe I'll have to test that when I'm back. I go to the gym and just kind of have a bit of 'me time', stick my headphones in and just forget about the world.
Advertisement
'People think I don't like [being in the spotlight], because I have gone under the radar my whole life but I don't have an issue with being in the spotlight or not being in the spotlight. I'll take it as a compliment.'
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Does Carlos Alcaraz Have a Girlfriend? His Dating History Is Mysterious
Back in 2022, a tennis site published a photo it said was from Carlos Alcaraz's Instagram story. The picture showed the tennis pro in an embrace with a woman. However, since that time, his dating history has remained mysterious. Whether he has had a girlfriend here or there is much rumored (including with some top women's players) but little confirmed. What is confirmed is that he has told interviewers several times that he is single and lamented the difficulties of maintaining a relationship with his tennis travels. The site Tennis Tonic, which posted the photo of Alcaraz kissing a woman's cheek, said his girlfriend at that time was Maria Gonzalez Gimenez. He was only 18 when that photo was shared and has since burst into fame on the tennis circuit, most recently competing at Wimbledon. "Maria is also a tennis player from Murcia playing for Murcia Club de Tenis," that site wrote. But even then, he was keeping the relationship private, Tennis Tonic reported. However, Gimenez has not been seen at his side since that time. And in an interview with tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou, tennis player Nick Kyrgios made controversial comments when comparing Alcaraz with fellow tennis pro Jannik Sinner. "I choose Sinner, because Alcaraz loves girls," he said in that interview. "He could get distracted, he might party too much." "That's my only thing. Sinner will stay more locked in I think," he added. In 2023, Vogue wrote, "There were reports of him dating Maria Gonzalez Gimenez, but Alcaraz alludes to a breakup and says he's been single for 18 months." 'It's complicated, never staying in one place,' he told Vogue. 'It's hard to find the person who can share things with you if you're always in different parts of the world.' In 2024, Alcaraz revealed that he still lives with his mother. "When I finish a tournament, it doesn't matter if I win or not, I just want to get home to be with my family,' he told The Times. 'I live with my mum and dad, my older brother and two younger brothers. To them I am not a big tennis star, just a normal guy. One of the things about tennis is that you travel a lot and my dad and older brother come with me. My older brother is my hitting partner.' The interviewer asked him, "Are you in a relationship?' He "blushes ever so slightly," the article said, quoting him as saying, 'No, I am single. I am looking for someone. It can be difficult as a tennis player to meet the right person because you are travelling all the time.' 'I doubt you will be short of admirers,' the author said. 'I hope so,' he responded. Women's tennis star Emma Raducanu commented on dating rumors as Wimbledon is underway. She declared that they were just "good friends." Rumors have also swirled about Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, but they have not been Carlos Alcaraz Have a Girlfriend? His Dating History Is Mysterious first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 6, 2025
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wimbledon 2025: Carlos Alcaraz withstands early onslaught from Andrey Rublev to win in 4 sets
Andrey Rublev started aggressively in his first set against Carlos Alcaraz, which forced the defending Wimbledon champion out of rhythm and making him catch up. (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images) No. 2 men's seed Carlos Alcaraz withstood an early scare from No. 14 Andrey Rublev to continue his pursuit of a third consecutive Wimbledon title, winning in four sets on Sunday 7-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Rublev challened Alcaraz from the start, running out to a 4-1 lead in the first set as the defending Wimbledon champion struggled to get into a rhythm. He had difficulty winning his serve while also committing several unforced errors. Advertisement Alcaraz finally held serve to close within 4-2 and showed some emotion as he tried to fire himself up. Rublev then made an error at the net on an Alcaraz drop shot, giving him an opening to gain two points in the set. He went on to win 11 of the next 12 points. Rublev appeared as if he might be running low on energy after a frenetic start and that allowed Alcaraz to get back into the set. He took a hard fall and lost his racket while reaching to return a serve, but wasn't injured. That almost seemed to be an answer to Rublev's early aggressiveness, doing everything he could to get back into the match and force a tiebreaker. Carlos Alcaraz slipped and fell to the grass during the first set of his fourth-round match at Wimbledon with Andrey Rublev on July 06, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) (Clive Brunskill via Getty Images) Despite his own fall in the same corner after the two switched sides, Rublev was undeterred and went ahead 3-2 in the tiebreaker. Alcaraz showed his range by going deep in the corner to return two shots, but hit his next one into the net to fall behind 6-5. Advertisement And at that point, the crowd came to life, sensing that Rublev was about to win the first set. That feeling was affirmed when Alcaraz again went deep behind the baseline for a return, but hit it into the net to lose the tiebreaker, 7-5. Rublev had won four of his six tiebreaking sets during this Wimbledon tournament. Yet anyone who thought Alcaraz might be shaken by losing that first set was quickly corrected. He took control with his serve in the second set and a forehand return seemed to surprise Rublev, perhaps affecting his early aggressiveness. After Rublev held serve to tie the set at 2-2, Alcaraz mixed in different tactics with his rocket serves and forehands, slicing balls down the line and feathering drop shots at the net. That had Rublev moving all the court and curbed what was a successful aggressive approach. Advertisement Tied at 3-3, Rublev double-faulted to allow Alcaraz to break serve. The Russian couldn't recover from there, frustrated that he couldn't win his serve as Alcaraz held to get the final two points and win the second set. The two began the third set going back and forth, but Alcaraz arguably won the point of the match by sliding on the grass toward the corner to return a cross-court shot that darted just out of Rublev's reach for a 4-3 lead. The crowd erupted at the amazing play from the two-time Wimbledon champion and Alcaraz held his finger to his ear, asking for more. From there, Rublev played like he knew the set was lost and ready to start fresh. Advertisement Perhaps the difference in the match was that Rublev couldn't raise his play to another level when he had Alcaraz playing catch-up. Contrarily, Alcaraz seemed to get better as the match wore on, reaching to find an extra boost when he needed it. Rublev kept attempting to win his serve, aiming toward the lines to get Alcaraz chasing. But Alcaraz either got to the shots that he wasn't earlier in the match or Rublev wasn't quite as precise as when he started. The fourth set began with Alcaraz getting two aces, but Rublev didn't move further back to try and adjust to that serve. That may have been another difference as Alcaraz changed his approach and mixed up his shots as the match progressed. Those adjustments helped him recover from Rublev's early onslaught. Advertisement If there was one adjustment Rublev appeared to make, it was with his mental and emotional approach. During breaks in play, he looked like he was trying to calm down and not lose his composure as Alcaraz took control. Under those circumstances, Rublev wasn't just battling his opponent but himself as well.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kartal proud in defeat as British hopes end in Wimbledon women's singles
Sonay Kartal during her match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a defeat which ended the hopes of Great Britain in the Wimbledon women's singles (Reuters via Beat Media Group subscription) By James Toney at Wimbledon Sonay Kartal made her debut walk onto Centre Court as thunder rumbled, but her Wimbledon hopes were soon gone in a flash. Kartal is rightly keen to accentuate the positives from a week to remember, which saw her reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time. Advertisement Her 7–6, 6–4 defeat to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will mainly be remembered for a high-profile failure of the new automatic line-calling system, but that should be only a footnote to Kartal's achievements in recent days. Taking down the seeded Jelena Ostapenko, making a first appearance on Centre Court, leaving the All England Club with a ranking inside the world's top 50 and swelling her bank account by £240,000 — it has been an honest week's work in SW19. 'I've proved to myself I can go deep into Slams and beat some of the best players on tour,' said Kartal, who took to the court with her knee heavily strapped but insisted it was not a major issue. 'I'll take a little rest for a week or two, but this gives me a lot of motivation. It's not easy coming out on Centre Court as a British player, but I think I handled that well. Advertisement 'I'm pretty devastated not to get the win. People were saying the draw had opened up, but she played like a seed from the very first point. I made a few mistakes at not ideal times and that was the only difference. 'It's my first fourth round at a Slam, so I can be super proud about that when I take some time to reflect — because I'm playing some of my best tennis.' Wimbledon's decision to scrap the 147-year-old tradition of line judges in favour of Hawk-Eye technology has raised plenty of eyebrows, with British number ones Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu both questioning its reliability. Pavlyuchenkova was serving at 4–4, advantage, when a Kartal shot landed well beyond the baseline. However, umpire Nico Helwerth refused to overrule the clearly incorrect call, insisting the point be replayed as the technology had failed. Kartal went on to break her opponent's serve. Advertisement 'You took the game away from me,' fumed the former French Open finalist at the changeover. 'You've stolen it.' To her credit, Pavlyuchenkova showed remarkable restraint, ultimately winning the set — rightly hers — on a tie-break, her British rival paying the price for converting only three of ten break-point opportunities. There are certainly questions to answer about how Hawk-Eye is being implemented. If an umpire cannot overrule a clearly bad call, they might as well be replaced too. 'I just thought also the chair umpire could take initiative. That's why he's sitting on the chair. He also saw it out — he told me after the match. Advertisement 'They said the system was down, it was a human error and I understand that. It's such a big match, a big event. I think since we already have automatic line calling and so much invested into this, we should probably look into something else to make it better.' In the end, it was all immaterial. Pavlyuchenkova, a former world No 11 who has slipped outside the top 50, drew on her decade-plus of experience to end the home women's singles challenge for another year. For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
