Sonay Kartal stunned the tennis world by defeating world No. 6 Elina Svitolina with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory on Friday, securing her place in the semifinals of the 2026 Wuhan Open. The 24-year-old British player, ranked No. 170 following a six-month hiatus caused by a back injury, recorded only the second Top 10 win of her WTA career.
Kartal Makes History with Surprise Win in Wuhan
Since 2009, just two lower-ranked players have advanced to the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event, making Kartal’s breakthrough even more remarkable. En route to her semifinal berth, she overcame three seeded opponents. Her campaign began with a victory over No. 9 Belinda Bencic, followed by a convincing win against No. 15 Jasmine Paolini in the round of 16. Svitolina, however, presented a sterner challenge.
Kartal started strongly, breaking early in the first set, but Svitolina retaliated with determination to take the second set 6-2. The final set was a tense affair, with neither player facing a break point until the 10th game, where Kartal secured the crucial opportunity to close out the match.
The victory extends Kartal’s impressive run in 2026, marking her as undefeated 12-0 in main draws whenever she wins the opening set. This consistency highlights her growing confidence and resilience on the tour.
Reflecting on her performance, Kartal expressed pride in overcoming a tough opponent. “I’m very proud to get through that one,” she remarked. “Despite winning the first set pretty comfortably, I know what a great fighter she is and I knew until the last point was played I was never safe.”