Sonay Kartal Downs Elina Svitolina To Reach First Big Semi-final
Locker Room
October 16, 2026
Sonay Kartal faces one of the biggest matches of her life on Saturday morning.
She takes on the unpredictable Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open.
And this is the first time the feisty Brit has reached the last four in a WTA 1000 event.
Sonay Kartal looks set to return to the height of her powers in time for Wimbledon 2027. She could well cause a few more upsets at the All England club.
In recent days Kartal defeated big-hitting Belinda Bencic, who is world number 12. That win came after already seeing off top-fifty star Anhelina Kalinina.
And now Sonay has caused the biggest shock of all by beating the brilliant fifth seed Elina Svitolina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Almost no one expected the underdog to take that final set.
But Kartal is playing with a remarkable freedom so soon after coming back from injury. And she will try to meet fire with fire when she faces the volatile Ostapenko on Saturday.
Reflecting on victory over Svitolina, Kartal said: ‘Despite winning the first set pretty comfortably, I knew what a great fighter she is.
‘I knew I was never safe until the very last point we played. But I’m super proud of the determination I managed to show. I just think it was solid composure throughout from me.’
The 24-year-old missed Wimbledon and many other tournaments this year with a stress fracture in her back. But you wouldn’t know it now.
Sonay Kartal will be going all out to make up for lost time when she plays Wimbledon 2027 next summer. It’s her home Slam, after all – and she is hungry for success.
But for now she must be sensing that glory in Wuhan is almost within her reach. And that’s something few observers saw for Kartal so soon after her time in the wilderness.
Imagine the confidence Kartal will be taking from this week in the Far East anyway. Now we have one more reason to start looking forward to Wimbledon 2027!
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