Sonay Kartal has raced through to the Wimbledon third round on Wednesday afternoon, continuing an impressive 2025 season.
The world number 54 followed up an impressive victory over 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko with a comprehensive victory over Viktoriya Tomova.
Kartal made light work of the Bulgarian player, converting five of six break-point opportunities on the way to winning 6-2 6-2.
Following her victory, the 23-year-old revealed what she ‘didn’t want’ people to think about her after performing well on the WTA Tour.
Sonay Kartal didn’t want people to think her form was ‘just two good weeks’
Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday afternoon after her victory at Wimbledon, Kartal said: “I think even last year, I wanted to back up the run I had last year. I didn’t want people to think that it was just one good, two good weeks out of the year.
“At this tournament I really wanted to show that I’m at this level now, I can consistently play. I think after the match against Jelena, I had so much confidence. I feel like with each match on the grass and out here, I’m growing in confidence.”
Kartal’s victory means she will face either 12th seed Diana Shnaider or Diane Parry in the third round.
When asked about her confidence, Kartal spoke of playing the ‘bigger matches’ during the 2025 season.
She added: “On the court I’m pretty tunnel vision, I don’t give too much away and just like to keep calm and try and see out the match.
“But no, I think that the last five months has obviously, you know, kind of thrown myself onto the scene.
“Top 50, playing all the bigger matches, and I think this year I made a conscious effort that I only wanted to play the bigger matches. Just getting used to playing the best players on tour day in, day out.
“I think that each match I’m growing in confidence, I feel like I’m playing better, I feel like I’m playing with more freedom and much more confidence in my game.”
Sonay Kartal is a ‘firm favourite in the locker room’
Speaking on the BBC on Wednesday morning before Kartal’s victory, Naomi Broady said: “Sonay Kartal is a firm favourite in the locker room and wherever she is.
“She’s just a great person and an incredible athlete. She tried to tell me that she worked on her athleticism during lockdown and it just shows her personality.
“She took that time when everything else was shut down and she made improvements to herself.
“Today is going to be a decent match for her, she plays Viktoriya Tomova who got the retirement from Ons Jabeur so she steps into that seeded draw now.”
Tim Henman, former British number one and Wimbledon semi-finalist, added: “Sonay Kartal has been brilliant [over the last 12 months], I love her story, I love her journey and I think she is such an important role model because she has done it the hard way.
“She has been out there grinding in some of the smaller events with her ranking down in the 300s, looking for those ranking points to break through into bigger tournaments to earn more prize money to invest in your game.
“When you look at the top of British tennis, you have Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Sonay in the top 50. To beat Jelena Ostapenko in the first round will give her so much confidence because Ostapenko is a Grand Slam champion, she is such a dangerous player.
“Hopefully Sonay can continue to build on that and move her ranking higher and higher towards the top of the game.”
