British teenager Sonay Kartal reached the Wuhan Open final, defeating several top players before falling 2-6, 4-6, 6-2 to Poland’s Maja Chwalinska. After the loss she posted an Instagram message saying she left China with her head held high and celebrated becoming the new British number one. The result also saw her rise to world No. 49 and overtake fellow British players in the rankings.
British No.5 Sonay Kartal continued her comeback from a back injury by beating Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina 7‑5, 6‑3 at the Wuhan Open, advancing to the second round and re‑entering the top‑50. The victory sets up a clash with Swiss ninth seed Belinda Bencic in the next round.
Britain’s Sonay Kartal returned to the WTA Tour after a six‑month injury lay‑off and defeated Spain’s Andrea Lazaro Garcia 6‑2 6‑3 at the China Open in Beijing. The win moves her into the next round where she will face Chinese seed Wang Xinyu as she looks to climb back up the rankings.
British tennis player Sonay Kartal confirmed her comeback to the WTA circuit after a six‑month layoff caused by a back injury. She expressed excitement on Instagram and noted her new role as an official Under Armour ambassador, while her exact tournament debut remains unconfirmed. The announcement follows a difficult 2026 season that saw her ranking drop from world No.44 to No.124.