Wimbledon: Meet Sonay Kartal: The tattoo-loving British No 3 having fun with her greatest Grand Slam run | Tennis Information

One in every of Sonay Kartal’s 14 tattoos reads “the present should go on”, and it couldn’t be extra becoming for her present Wimbledon run.

The British No 3 is into uncharted territory, reaching the fourth spherical for the primary time at a Grand Slam after beating Diane Parry 6-4 6-2 within the Wimbledon third spherical on Friday.

The 23-year-old, who lives in Brighton and was born in Sidcup, overcame a nervy begin to advance on No 1 Courtroom, 12 months on from shedding to Coco Gauff on the identical stage.

“I used to be fairly nervous strolling on the market,” Kartal stated. “It is a massive court docket with a match that has a number of that means to me. Clearly final yr, that was additionally at the back of my thoughts, shedding to Coco on the identical court docket in the identical spherical.”

And with the variety of Brits dwindling within the singles, the highlight is firmly on Kartal. “I believe it is an honour,” she added.

“Clearly you have received a number of consideration on you, it means you are doing good issues. I am fairly calm and picked up. I do not suppose it may have an effect on me an excessive amount of. I am nonetheless fairly younger. It is my first fourth spherical.”

Now a spot within the quarter-finals is inside her grasp, and the world No 51 may grace Centre Courtroom for the primary time in her round-of-16 match on Sunday…

Time for a brand new tattoo?

Kartal admits her “the present should go on” tattoo, one among 14 she has inked, doesn’t notably relate to any second in her profession.

“I would wish to say it did, however truthfully, on that one I simply favored the design. My tattoos all began with that means. Then I suppose the extra I received, the form of extra spontaneous and braver I received,” she stated.

She boasts a paw print on her left arm in tribute to her late golden retriever – “My mattress hogger and my greatest pal,” she stated in 2023 – and likewise has a logo for bravery on her wrist.

“I misplaced a number of matches from enjoying too secure,” she stated final yr. “I form of had sufficient of shedding and was like, I want to alter one thing. If I’ve it on my wrist, I can see it. It is somewhat reminder at change of ends.”

So is it time for tattoo No 15? On Monday, after her terrific opening-round win over Jelena Ostapenko, Kartal stated she would get a brand new one if she reached the second week of Wimbledon.

That second has arrived. The spherical of 16 is technically the second week, even when she is enjoying on Center Sunday, and she or he welcomed options on-court when requested after her win over Parry.

“I’ve received a number of which might be within the line-up,” she additionally stated on Monday, however dismissed the concept of a strawberry. “I would not get one thing that apparent. I might get one thing that individuals are linked to Wimbledon and perceive Wimbledon, they’d perceive.”

Okay, again to tennis…

From 298th to the highest 50

Twelve months in the past, Kartal broke her Wimbledon duck, successful her first match right here at her third Championships when ranked 298th on this planet.

She superior to the third spherical, and although she got here unstuck towards Gauff 6-4 6-4, the run propelled Kartal into the highest 200.

Then it received even higher. Kartal clinched her maiden WTA title in September, successful the Jasmine Open when beating Rebecca Sramkova in straight units in Tunisia.

The victory noticed Kartal develop into the twenty first British girl to interrupt into the WTA high 100 since 1975, and the ninth within the final 10 years.

Going into 2025, the spotlight of her season earlier than Wimbledon was a run to the Indian Wells spherical of 16, and that mixed with a first-ever win on the French Open noticed her rise into the highest 50.

She has solely narrowly dropped out since, presently 51st, however her Wimbledon run means she is going to attain a career-high rating as soon as the match is over, and is projected to be inside the highest 45 as issues stand.

Kartal: My go-to karaoke track is…

Away from the court docket, Kartal admits to being a lover of animals and an enormous fan of ’90s music, though not essentially of Oasis.

“I like a number of of their songs. I would not say I am a hardcore Oasis fan,” she stated. “I like a number of ’90s music, old-fashioned, 2000s. I am fairly versatile, to be trustworthy with you.

“I’ve by no means actually had one artist that I actually like. I’ve by no means had an artist launch an album that I like each single track. I form of flicker between totally different songs. I’ve a nasty behavior of enjoying one track, like, 50 occasions after which completely hating it for the remainder of the yr. I would say perhaps ’90s music might be my favourite.”

And her go-to karaoke track? Dolly Parton’s “Islands within the Stream”.

Who Kartal faces subsequent at Wimbledon

So can Kartal maintain the run going? On Sunday she faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a gathering that will properly see the Briton grace Centre Courtroom for the very first time – her match with Gauff final yr was on No 1 Courtroom.

With a quarter-final place on the road, Kartal might be cautious of the skilled Pavlyuchenkova, the 34-year-old who reached the French Open last in 2021 and made the quarter-finals at SW19 in 2016.

Pavlyuchenkova is ranked one place above Kartal in fiftieth, and has 12 profession singles titles, additionally successful Olympic gold within the blended doubles at Tokyo 2020.

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