Sonay Kartal, the 24-year-old British tennis player, has made a significant comeback by reaching the semifinals of the Dongfeng • Voyah Wuhan Open, her first appearance in the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament. This achievement comes after a six-month hiatus due to a back injury that had seen her ranking drop from No. 54 to No. 170.
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On Friday, Kartal secured her spot in the semifinals by defeating world No. 6 Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. The match featured a tightly contested third set, where both players held serve until Kartal earned, and then converted, a break point that also served as the match point.
The victory marked Kartal's first win over Svitolina in three encounters and extended her unbeaten record to 12-0 in 2026 when she wins the first set in WTA-level main draws. "I'm very proud to get through that one," she remarked after the match, emphasizing the challenge presented by Svitolina, whom she knows well. Kartal noted her satisfaction with her performance and consistency throughout the tournament.
This victory propelled Kartal into just her second career semifinal on the WTA Tour and made her the third-lowest-ranked semifinalist at a WTA 1000 event since the format changed in 2009, following Sloane Stephens and Victoria Azarenka.
Since her comeback, Kartal has represented Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup and reached the third round in Beijing. In Wuhan, she has also secured wins over Anhelina Kalinina, Belinda Bencic, and Jasmine Paolini prior to defeating Svitolina. "I definitely did not think that I would find this level this fast," Kartal admitted, expressing surprise at her rapid return to form.
Kartal mentioned that she was ready to return to competition by late August but opted to wait, trusting the advice from her team not to rush her recovery. She acknowledged the disappointment of missing major events like Wimbledon but emphasized the importance of patience in her recovery process.
In the upcoming semifinals, Kartal will face former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, with their career meetings currently tied at 1-1. Ostapenko secured her place in the semifinals with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Diana Shnaider. Kartal has to prepare for a tough match ahead, acknowledging Ostapenko's strong performance throughout the tournament.