Sonay Kartal has achieved a career milestone by reaching the final of the Wuhan Open, marking her as the lowest-ranked player to reach a WTA 1000 final since 2009. The 24-year-old British tennis player defeated Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets, 7-6 (9), 7-6 (5), despite trailing in both sets and saving six set points. This victory is significant for Kartal, who returned to competitive play this month after a six-month hiatus due to a back injury.
Kartal’s journey to the final has been marked by impressive wins against top competitors including Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini, and Elina Svitolina. Ranked world No. 170 at the start of the tournament, her performance ensures she will break into the top 50 in the next world rankings update, surpassing Katie Boulter to become Britain’s new women’s singles No. 1.
In her match against Ostapenko, Kartal demonstrated extraordinary mental resilience. She overcame significant deficits in both sets and won two demanding tiebreaks, describing the encounter as one of the toughest of her career. Her previous notable performance was reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2025, which was interrupted by her injury. Her recent form in China suggests she is once again establishing herself among the top players on the women’s tour.
In another semi-final, Poland’s Maja Chwalińska defeated her compatriot Iga Świątek 7-5, 6-1. Świątek faced challenges during the match, struggling with a left-thigh injury that required a medical timeout and continued with her leg bandaged.