Sonay Kartal, the British No 3, is currently enjoying her most successful run at a Grand Slam, reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time. This achievement feels particularly fitting for the player who has “the show must go on” among her 14 tattoos.
The 23-year-old, born in Sidcup and residing in Brighton, secured her spot in the uncharted territory of the last 16 by defeating Diane Parry 6-4, 6-2 in the third round on Friday. Playing on No 1 Court, where she lost to Coco Gauff 12 months prior, she managed to overcome a nervous beginning to her match.
Kartal shared her feelings, saying, “I was pretty nervous walking out there. It`s a big court with a match that has a lot of meaning to me. Obviously last year, that was also in the back of my mind, losing to Coco on the same court in the same round.”
With fewer British players remaining in the singles draws, the spotlight is increasingly on Kartal. She views this positively, stating, “I think it`s an honour. Obviously, you`ve got a lot of attention on you, it means you`re doing good things. I`m pretty calm and collected. I don`t think it`s going to affect me too much. I`m still pretty young. It`s my first fourth round.”
Now ranked world No 51, Kartal has the opportunity to reach the quarter-finals. Her next match could potentially be played on Centre Court, marking another first for her career.
Time for a New Tattoo?
Kartal admits that her “the show must go on” tattoo doesn`t specifically mark a moment in her tennis journey. “I`d like to say it did, but honestly, on that one I just liked the design. My tattoos all started with meaning. Then I guess the more I got, the kind of more spontaneous and braver I got,” she explained.
Among her other tattoos is a paw print on her left arm, a tribute to her late golden retriever, whom she described in 2023 as “My bed hogger and my best pal.” She also has a symbol for bravery on her wrist, a reminder she got because she felt she was losing too many matches by playing too cautiously. She mentioned last year, “I kind of had enough of losing and was like, I need to change something. If I have it on my wrist, I can see it. It`s a little reminder at change of ends.”
Following her first-round victory over Jelena Ostapenko, Kartal mentioned on Monday that she would get a new tattoo if she reached the second week of Wimbledon. That goal has now been met. She has several ideas in mind for the new ink but dismissed the idea of a strawberry, stating, “I wouldn`t get something that obvious. I would get something that people are connected to Wimbledon and understand Wimbledon, they would understand.”
But back to the tennis…
From 298th to the Top 50
Just a year ago, Kartal secured her first Wimbledon match win at her third appearance, ranked 298th in the world. That run took her to the third round, where she was stopped by Gauff. However, her performance boosted her ranking into the top 200.
Her progression continued when she claimed her first WTA title in September, winning the Jasmine Open in Tunisia by defeating Rebecca Sramkova in straight sets.
This victory made Kartal the 21st British woman since 1975 to enter the WTA top 100, and the ninth in the last decade.
Entering 2025, her season highlight before Wimbledon was reaching the round of 16 at Indian Wells. Combined with her first-ever win at the French Open, these results pushed her into the top 50. Although she has since slightly fallen to 51st, her current Wimbledon success guarantees she will achieve a new career-high ranking after the tournament, projected to be inside the top 45.
Kartal: My Go-to Karaoke Song Is…
Off the court, Kartal is known for her love of animals and `90s music, though she clarifies she isn`t a devoted Oasis fan. “I like a few of their songs. I wouldn`t say I`m a hardcore Oasis fan,” she stated. “I like a lot of `90s music, old school, 2000s. I`m pretty versatile, to be honest with you.”
She added, “I have never really had one artist that I really like. I`ve never had an artist release an album that I love every single song. I kind of flicker between different songs. I have a bad habit of playing one song, like, 50 times and then absolutely hating it for the rest of the year. I`d say maybe `90s music is probably my favourite.” Her preferred karaoke track is Dolly Parton`s `Islands in the Stream`.
Who Kartal Faces Next at Wimbledon
The question now is whether Kartal can continue her impressive run. On Sunday, she is scheduled to face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. This encounter could potentially see Kartal play on the prestigious Centre Court for the first time.
Competing for a quarter-final spot, Kartal will need to be cautious against the experienced Pavlyuchenkova. The 34-year-old Russian reached the French Open final in 2021 and was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 2016.
Pavlyuchenkova advanced by defeating four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the third round on Friday, coming back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Pavlyuchenkova is currently ranked just one place higher than Kartal at 50th. She has claimed 12 career singles titles and also won Olympic gold in mixed doubles at Tokyo 2020.
