Sonay Kartal has exited Wimbledon for another year after losing to Russian player Anastasia Pavlychenkova in the fourth round.
Kartal, who has outshone high-ranked compatriots like Emma Raducanu, Jack Draper and Katie Boulter, put up a spirited performance against the Russian, before losing 6-7 4-6.
However, discussions about on-court play has been overtaken by another discourse, after the new electronic line call (ELC) system failed to call a shot out on game point to Pavlychenkova at 4-4 in the first set. The Russian ended up losing the game after the point was replayed.
Wimbledon decided to end their 147-year use of line judges in 2025 to implement the new electronic system.
Kartal gave her reaction to the incident after the match, which concluded on Sunday afternoon.
Sonay Kartal says decision to replay the point was ‘the fairest way’ after ‘unlucky malfunction’
Speaking during her post-match press conference on Sunday afternoon, Kartal said that the situation was a ‘rarity’ and replaying the point was ‘the fairest way.’
She said: “That situation is a rarity. I don’t think it’s really ever happened, if it has. What can you do? The umpire’s trying his best in that situation. I think he handled it fine.
“I think the system just malfunctioned a little bit and I think the fairest way was what he did, to replay the point. I think obviously it was just a bit unlucky that happened. But I think it’s.. there’s hardly been any of them.”
Pavlyuchenkova was animated during the change of ends that followed the incident, claiming the game had been ‘stolen’ from her.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Tracy Austin agreed with the Russian, saying the game should have been ‘over.’
Sonay Kartal says she ‘couldn’t see’ controversial call
Kartal was then asked if she thought her backhand, on the controversial point, was clearly out.
She added: ‘It’s unfortunate for me. I’m quite short. So where the net tape is, a lot of the time I lose my vision so I can’t look over the baseline. But from where I was, I couldn’t see.
“From my point, I felt like I hit the backhand clean. Maybe I have to look at the replay. My vision was kind of blinded.
“When the point stopped, I didn’t really know what was… I thought maybe it was a let or something came on the court. I couldn’t see.”
Kartal, who beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko on her way to the fourth round, was asked whether she would have given up the game to Pavlyuchenkova if she’d known her ball was out on game point.
Kartal said: “If I could typically see, like it was massively out, then you can’t argue with that. But if it’s tight, there’s not much I can do in that situation.”
After losing the singles, Kartal’s time at Wimbledon has ended for 2025, as she lost in the women’s doubles with Jodie Burrage prior to her clash with Pavlyuchenkova.
