Sonay Kartal knocks out Jelena Ostapenko in biggest victory of her Wimbledon career

Telegraph

30-06-2025

Sonay Kartal secured the biggest victory of her Wimbledon career by knocking out big-hitting former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
The British No 3 gained revenge for a straight sets defeat by Ostapenko in Eastbourne last week and in doing so became the first British player through to the second round, via a 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 victory.
Kartal was a picture of calm on Court No 3 despite the high temperatures that the start of this year's Championships is experiencing, never taking too long between points and cutting a quiet figure on the court. It was not until a big fist pump when her victory over the Latvian was confirmed that there was any outward display of emotion.
'That was by far one of the toughest matches I've played. I would say that I struggle against the big hitters, so getting that win today after her beating me last week was great,' Kartal said after she secured her place in the second round for a successive year.
'I've made a conscious effort this year to play the bigger matches and put myself under the most pressure out on court. I knew that I wouldn't get the results straight away but that it would eventually pay off, and that's what happened today.'
Ostapenko found the match difficult, and was unable to sustain her highest level. At the start of the second set, having lost five games in a row as Kartal clinched the first, she paused after throwing the ball up before serving. She also told spectators to be quiet, then turned to the umpire to complain before uttering a loud 'Shhhh' in the direction of the apparent offenders. While the reaction was vocal, it sparked her into impressive form in the second set, although she could not sustain it.
It was Wimbledon last year that lifted Kartal's professional career to a new level. Starting the 2024 tournament ranked No 298 in the world, before an impressive run to the third round as a qualifier. This year she has established herself as the British No 3 and reached top 50 in the world, already surpassing her own target of top 50 before the end of 2025. She is currently ranked 51.
Only two weeks ago, Katie Boulter said she expected Kartal to surpass her in the world rankings after the two came up against each other at Nottingham, where Boulter won in three sets.
It was a difficult start to the match for Kartal, who was three games behind without getting onto the scoreboard, but she fought back bravely from 0-3 and 2-5 down, winning five games in a row to take the first set.
In the second, Ostapenko raised her level and showed her experience but she could not sustain it into the decider.
As the crowd grew louder in support of the home favourite, Latvian Ostapenko faded as Kartal gained an extra gear with her movement around the court while still hitting impressive shots down the line.