Latest news with #JulieHobbs
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sonay Kartal: The unlikely heroine flying the flag for Britain
With 14 tattoos, a retro range of baggy Adidas clothes, and a childhood spent around her parents' kebab shop while struggling to afford tennis coaching, the sense that Sonay Kartal's Wimbledon fairy tale could reach far beyond a traditional tennis fanbase is obvious. 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.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sonay Kartal: The unlikely heroine flying the flag for Britain
With 14 tattoos, a retro range of baggy Adidas clothes, and a childhood spent around her parents' kebab shop while struggling to afford tennis coaching, the sense that Sonay Kartal's Wimbledon fairy tale could reach far beyond a traditional tennis fanbase is obvious. 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.
Telegraph
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Sonay Kartal: The unlikely heroine flying the flag for Britain
With 14 tattoos, a retro range of baggy Adidas clothes, and a childhood spent around her parents' kebab shop while struggling to afford tennis coaching, the sense that Sonay Kartal's Wimbledon fairy tale could reach far beyond a traditional tennis fanbase is obvious. 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. '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, 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. '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. '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. 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. 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. 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. '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.'
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Sonay Kartal's dad owns a kebab shop, she loves tattoos and she wears retro baggy whites - the rising British talent is Wimbledon's most unlikely star, writes MATTHEW LAMBWELL
Look back at the career of any tennis player and there is a sliding doors moment when, unbeknownst to them at the time, their life changes course. For Sonay Kartal, that moment came at the age of six. 'So at my club, we used to do this thing called the lines game,' she begins. 'It's like a little warm-up. They'd shout 'service line' or 'tram line' and all the kids had to run to that line. 'That was always the first game and I was too shy for three months to actually come on court. The coach, Julie, finally managed to get me on court, I tried to run, tripped over, burst into tears, off I went and didn't come back for a good couple of months.' So that could have been that. But coach Julie Hobbs worked away on the shy little girl until eventually she returned, taking the first step on a yellow brick road leading all the way to Centre Court. On Saturday afternoon, Kartal will open proceedings on tennis's most august arena, making her first appearance in the fourth-round of a Grand Slam. If she can get past Russian veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova she will become the British No1. And watching on from the stands will be Hobbs and Ben Reeves, who together have coached Kartal from her very first days at the Pavilion and Avenue Tennis Club in Hove all the way to the world's top 50. 'When I first appeared on the tour people were saying, 'Do you think you should get a coach that has already done it?' But I didn't want that at all,' says Kartal. 'I have coaches that have taken me from a six-year-old to the WTA Tour - I think that shows they know what they are talking about. We both just learned together. We're doing this crazy thing together.' It really is crazy - wonderfully so. There are so many reasons why Kartal should not have been a tennis player: she is not from the traditional tennis heartland of greater London and the home counties. She is 5ft 4in in a game where height is might. She comes from a modest background, the daughter of a Turkish restauranteur. That all makes her run here not just heartwarming but important. Every victory here has been a victory for the outsider; a clarion call to those who feel locked out of the gilded gates of British tennis. The toned arms with which she generates a huge amount of topspin also feel important, at a time when AI images of the 'perfect' female body flood the internet. 'I think a lot of girls are getting more comfortable with having more muscle on their body,' says Kartal. 'I don't think anyone should feel like girls have to look a certain way and I think that's changing in tennis as well - everyone's all different physiques and sizes and heights. 'If I can inspire kids, whether that's boys, girls, that's good.' Even with those muscles, there is a sliding door. 'I wasn't always strong,' says Kartal. 'I used to hate fitness back in the day but lockdown happened and I had nothing to do. 'I turned to it as a bit of an escape, something to do for a bit of fun. I didn't have crazy weights or anything (she was 19 at the time of the first lockdown) so it was just for running or bodyweight stuff and I absolutely loved it. 'So when it opened back up I'd go to the gym, stick my headphones in and just forget about the world.' In typical Kartal fashion, her gym was just a normal budget high-street chain. With a minimal £250,000 injection to her bank account after this fortnight, Kartal can certainly afford something more exclusive - and given her rising profile that could be wise. 'Yeah, it was getting a bit tricky prior so I do think I'll have to move,' she says sadly. 'But to be honest they were actually pretty respectful there, they would just say hello and let me get on with it. So maybe I'll have to test that when I'm back.' For all the wonder of this week, one feels like Kartal is looking forward to getting back to Brighton, where she still lives in the family home. Her father moved over from Turkey and opened two restaurants - a kebab takeaway and a sit in restaurant. Kartal would eat in there sometimes - but never ventured into the kitchens. 'Unfortunately I'm not a very good cook,' she says. 'He definitely would not have me in there.' It was in one of those Turkish restaurants when the first links between Kartal and the Lawn Tennis Association were formed. An LTA employee was in there having a meal, Mr Kartal spotted him and said words to the effect of, 'You should have a look at my girl.' But it was only really in 2021 that Kartal was fully embraced by the national setup. Until she was 13 she played a lot of football and cricket too. She was always up front in football; in cricket she just whacked it. 'Honestly, cricket, I was only good because of tennis,' says Kartal. 'I played left-handed and was just backhanding it, launching it as far as I could. 'I was a bit tomboy and super sporty, I loved football. I used to go to my local park with my dad and just kick the ball around. I absolutely loved it.' When I first met Kartal as she emerged on to the tour, she did not say much. She got through her press conferences politely but as quickly as possible. It was a little like the six year old who was too shy to take the court for the line game. But as her game has developed so has her confidence. Perhaps also she has begun to realise how interesting she is; how cool she is. Her baggy, retro Adidas kit which is fast becoming iconic; her 14 tattoos with more to come; the Turkish restaurants, the two coaches who have been with her all the way - none of this is normal. Here at Wimbledon she sticks out like a sore thumb; a thumb raised towards the tennis highway, hitching a lift towards the top.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Out of Emma Raducanu's shadow, the new British hope Sonay Kartal is relishing her debut on Centre Court
Look back at the career of any tennis player and there is a sliding-doors moment when, unbeknown to them at the time, their life changes course. For Sonay Kartal, that moment came at the age of six. 'So at my club, we used to do this thing called the lines game,' she begins. 'It's like a little warm-up. They'd shout "service line" or "tram line" and all the kids had to run to that line. 'That was always the first game and I was too shy for three months to actually come on court. The coach, Julie, finally managed to get me on court, I tried to run, tripped over, burst into tears, off I went and didn't come back for a good couple of months.' So that could have been that. But coach Julie Hobbs worked away on the shy little girl until eventually she returned, taking the first step on a yellow brick road leading all the way to Centre Court. On Sunday afternoon, Kartal will open proceedings on tennis's most august arena, making her first appearance in the fourth round of a Grand Slam. If she can get past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, she will become the British No 1. And watching on from the stands will be Hobbs and Ben Reeves, who together have coached Kartal from her very first days at the Pavilion and Avenue Club in Hove all the way to the world's top 50. 'When I first appeared on the tour people were saying, 'Do you think you should get a coach that has already done it?' but I didn't want that at all,' says Kartal. 'I have coaches that have taken me from a six-year-old to the WTA Tour — that shows they know what they are talking about. We both just learned together. We're doing this crazy thing together.' It really is crazy — wonderfully so. There are so many reasons why Kartal should not have been a tennis player: she is not from the traditional tennis heartland of greater London and the home counties. She is 5ft 4in in a game where height is might. She comes from a modest background, the daughter of a Turkish restaurateur. That all makes her run here not just heartwarming but important. Every victory here has been a victory for the outsider, a clarion call to those who feel locked out of the gilded gates of British tennis. The toned arms with which she generates a huge amount of topspin also feel important, at a time when AI images of the 'perfect' female body flood the internet. 'A lot of girls are getting more comfortable with having more muscle on their body,' says Kartal. 'I don't think anyone should feel like girls have to look a certain way and that's changing in tennis as well — everyone's all different physiques and sizes and heights. If I can inspire kids, that's good.' Even with those muscles, there is a sliding door. 'I wasn't always strong,' says Kartal. 'I used to hate fitness back in the day but lockdown happened and I had nothing to do. I turned to it as a bit of an escape, something to do for a bit of fun. I didn't have crazy weights or anything (she was 18 at the time of the first lockdown) so it was just for running or bodyweight stuff and I absolutely loved it. 'So when it opened back up I'd go to the gym, stick my headphones in and just forget about the world.' In typical Kartal fashion, her gym was just a normal budget high-street chain. With a minimal £250,000 injection to her bank account after this fortnight, Kartal can certainly afford something more exclusive — and given her rising profile that could be wise. 'Yeah, it was getting a bit tricky already so I do think I'll have to move,' she says sadly. 'But they were pretty respectful there, they'd just say 'hello' and let me get on with it. So maybe I'll have to test that when I'm back.' For all the wonder of this week, one feels like Kartal is looking forward to getting back to Brighton, where she still lives in the family home. Her father moved from Turkey and opened two restaurants — a kebab takeaway and a sit-in restaurant. Kartal would eat in there sometimes — but never ventured into the kitchens. 'Unfortunately I'm not a very good cook,' says Kartal. 'He definitely would not have me in there.' It was in one of those Turkish restaurants when the first links between Kartal and the Lawn Tennis Association were formed. An LTA employee was having a meal, Mr Kartal spotted him and said words to the effect of, 'You should have a look at my girl'. But it was only in 2021 that Kartal was fully embraced by the national set-up. Until she was 13 she played football and cricket, too. She was always up front in football, in cricket she just whacked it. 'Honestly, cricket, I was only good because of tennis,' says Kartal. 'I played left-handed and was just backhanding it, launching it as far as I could. I was a bit tomboy and super sporty, I loved football. I used to go to my local park with my dad and just kick the ball around. I absolutely loved it.' When I first met Kartal as she emerged on to the tour, she did not say much. She got through her press conferences politely but as quickly as possible. It was like the six-year-old who was too shy to take the court for the line game. But as her game has developed, so has her confidence. Perhaps also she has begun to realise how interesting she is, how cool she is. Her baggy, retro adidas kit which is fast becoming iconic, her 14 tattoos with more to come, the Turkish restaurants, the two coaches who have been with her all the way — none of this is normal. Here at Wimbledon she sticks out like a sore thumb — a thumb raised towards the tennis highway, hitching a lift towards the top.
