Nidhish Waghmare
On a scorching day at SW19, Sonay Kartal delivered a statement win by defeating 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 on Court 3, becoming the first British player to reach the second round of Wimbledon 2025.
Kartal, 23, showed remarkable composure after falling 5-2 behind in the first set, saving multiple set points before reeling off five straight games to take the opener. Despite a dominant second set from Ostapenko, Kartal regrouped and raced through the decider with two breaks of serve, sealing the match in just under two hours.
“That was by far one of the toughest matches I’ve played,” Kartal said. “I’ve made a conscious effort this year to play the bigger matches and put myself under pressure… and that’s what happened today”.
A Rising Star in British Tennis
Kartal’s victory marks her third win over a top-20 player this year and comes exactly a year after her breakout run to the third round as a wildcard. Ranked No. 281 at the time, she’s now climbed to No. 51, establishing herself as British No. 3 and a serious contender.
She’ll next face Viktoriya Tomova in the second round on Wednesday.
Ostapenko’s Frustration Boils Over
Ostapenko, a former French Open champion and Wimbledon semi-finalist, struggled to maintain her rhythm. She berated her box, shushed the crowd, and argued with the umpire, visibly rattled by Kartal’s resilience and the home crowd’s energy
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