Sonay Kartal, who used to compete with Emma Raducanu at junior level, has won her first WTA title at the Jasmin Open in Tunisia.
Katal, aged 22, is the current British number four but has broken into the top 100 for the first time following her victory.
Despite coming through qualifying, Kartal lost just one set at the tournament, in the best season of her career
It has capped off a remarkable rise over the last few months. Kartal entered Wimbledon qualifying ranked 298, but since then has won 24 out of 26 matches to establish herself in the top 100 at 96.
At the British Grand Slam, Kartal reached the third round before being knocked out by Coco Gauff, and she clinched the Jasmin Open with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.
“Right now it’s unbelievable,” said Kartal. “I tried so much to put the occasion and the score behind me and try to treat it just like any other match.
“It’s been such a good week, I’ve played some of my best tennis and it feels like in every match I’ve got better.”
Kartal‘s win means she joins a small band of British winners on the WTA tour and having already exceeded her own expectations for 2024, she is already looking forward to next year.
“I started the year with the goal of being in the top 150 and now I’m past that,” she added. “I’m trying to end the year in the top 100 and put myself in the best position for Australia.”
With reporting from PA
