Sonay Kartal defeated Jelena Ostapenko, 7-6, 7-6, in the Wuhan Open semi-finals.
The British star had to work hard for her place in the Wuhan Open final, as her Latvian opponent pushed her to the limit. Ostapenko had points to win the first and second sets, but failed to convert them as she grew increasingly frustrated.
Kartal won the match, proving too strong in the two tiebreaks, advancing to the biggest final of her career in just her third tournament back after a six-month injury. The 24-year-old was delighted with the result and her performance.
Sonay Kartal reacts after winning ‘one of the toughest matches’ of her career against Jelena Ostapenko
“Wow, that was probably one of the toughest matches I’ve played. I knew exactly how she was going to play. At times she’s unplayable, and sometimes you just have to ride that wave. Mentally, I think this is one of the best performances I’ve had in my career, so I’m very proud of that one,” said Kartal.
Predict the next WTA player to make their debut as world number one! 💭
Elena Rybakina has just become the 30th world number one since 1975 🥇
“I was dreaming of playing this match when I was fully fit before the injury, so to be able to come back here in my third event and achieve this is a huge milestone for me. I’m going to recover and enjoy every second of it tomorrow.”
Sonay Kartal’s record since returning from injury (7-2)
- Billie Jean King Cup Finals – Quarter-final (0-1)
- China Open – Third round (2-1)
- Wuhan Open* – Final (5-0)
The world number 170 was then asked if she had a message for her fans in Wuhan. The crowd was largely in favour of her opponent, Ostapenko, but fans were fair to both players.
“I’ve said it in every interview: this is an unbelievable court to play on; the atmosphere in every single match has been the most enjoyable experience for me. So, I appreciate everyone who was supporting me today, and hopefully they can come out and do the same tomorrow,” said Kartal.
The Chinese fans have warmed to Kartal this week, and fans back home are even more excited. By beating Ostapenko, Kartal became the first British woman to reach the Wuhan Open final.
Wuhan Open finalists
- 2014 – Petra Kvitova (Czechia) defeated Eugenie Bouchard (Canada)
- 2015 – Venus Williams (USA) defeated Garbine Muguruza (Spain)
- 2016 – Petra Kvitova (Czechia) defeated Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia)
- 2017 – Caroline Garcia (France) defeated Ashleigh Barty (Australia)
- 2018 – Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) defeated Annett Kontaveit (Estonia)
- 2019 – Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) defeated Alison Riske (USA)
- 2024 – Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) defeated Qinwen Zheng (China)
- 2025 – Coco Gauff (USA) defeated Jessica Pegula (USA)
- 2026 – Sonay Kartal (Great Britain) vs Iga Swiatek/Maja Chwalinska (Poland)
Kartal is now up to 50th in the ‘Live WTA Rankings’ and will return to British number one on Monday. She could end the week ranked as high as 36th with a title, which would be a new career-high.
Colin Fleming says Sonay Kartal is the ‘coolest woman in Wuhan’ as she reaches final
During Sky Sports’ post-match coverage, former British tennis star Colin Fleming delivered his verdict on Kartal’s big win over Ostapenko in the Wuhan Open semis.
“That’s an incredible win; it really is. The coolest woman in Wuhan, and that’s what got her through: her ability to just stay in the moment, stay in the present, keep cool, and ultimately outlasting Jelena Ostapenko, who hit 50 winners past her and still couldn’t win a set!” he said.
Sonay Kartal vs Jelena Ostapenko – Match stats
| Stats | Sonay Kartal | Jelena Ostapenko |
| Aces | 1 | 9 |
| Double faults | 2 | 7 |
| 1st Serve % | 57% | 62% |
| Winners | 13 | 50 |
| Unforced errors | 13 | 41 |
| Break points | 4/4 | 4/8 |
| Total points won | 88 | 87 |
“Sonay Kartal, there’s the smile that we saw throughout; that’s the biggest one of the day. No wonder, she is into a WTA 1000 final, just a brilliant achievement, and the run doesn’t stop here. She’s playing the tennis of her life, and she’s got every chance of getting her hands on the title.”
Kartal will return to play Iga Swiatek or Maja Chwalinska in Sunday’s Wuhan Open final. The British star hasn’t played either player before on the WTA Tour.
