British tennis player Sonay Kartal has reached the Wuhan Open final, marking a significant milestone in her career by defeating Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets. The 24-year-old clinched a 7-6 (9), 7-6 (5) victory on Saturday, despite trailing in both sets and saving six set points.
Kartal’s achievement follows her return to competitive tennis after a six-month hiatus due to a back injury. Her comeback has been notable, with impressive wins over established players like Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini, and Elina Svitolina. Ranked world No. 170 at the start of the tournament, Kartal has now become the lowest-ranked player to reach a WTA 1000 final since the format’s inception in 2009. This performance ensures she will break into the world’s top 50 in the next rankings update, surpassing Katie Boulter as Britain’s new women’s singles No. 1.
In her match against Ostapenko, Kartal demonstrated remarkable resilience by overcoming significant deficits and saving crucial set points before prevailing in two demanding tiebreaks. She described the match as one of the toughest of her career, highlighting her mental toughness throughout the contest.
Kartal previously gained attention by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2025, though her progress was hampered by injury. Her recent performances at the Wuhan Open suggest a return to form and signal her emergence as a leading player on the women’s tour.
In the other semi-final, Poland’s Maja Chwalińska defeated fellow countrywoman Iga Świątek 7-5, 6-1. Świątek struggled with a left-thigh injury during the match, requiring a medical timeout and continuing with her leg bandaged.