"Every player wants to test their game against the best in the world" - British star Sonay Kartal set to face Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells
WTA
British lucky loser Sonay Kartal has already exceeded her expectations after advancing to the round of 16 at the 2025 Indian Wells tournament, although she will face the biggest test of her career when she takes on World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.
The London native lost in the third round of qualifying at Tennis Paradise, but gained entrance to the main draw as a lucky loser. Kartal has been on a tear since, powering past all her opponents to reach the fourth round without dropping a set.
Playing experienced players improved her gamestyle, says Kartal
The 23-year old is no stranger to facing top-ranked players. Kartal took on World No.3 Coco Gauff at last year's Wimbledon Championships, falling in a memorable third round encounter. She has believes this loss to Gauff help change her fortune, giving her the mindset needed to take on higher-ranked players.
"It was a good match for me to win," said Kartal following her second round upset of 16th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia on Saturday. "I lost to Coco at Wimbledon and learned a lot from that match. I learned that I don’t have to kind of overplay and overcomplicate things on the court. I know that coming out of that match, my baseline tennis was pretty much there.
"So I definitely used what I learned in that match against Beatriz and didn’t overplay. Just played a very solid match. And I’d say that one is probably the biggest match I won. I think it gives you confidence when you play against those higher ranked players.”
"So I definitely used what I learned in that match against Beatriz and didn’t overplay. Just played a very solid match. And I’d say that one is probably the biggest match I won. I think it gives you confidence when you play against those higher ranked players.”
Awaiting Kartal in the fourth round is Sabalenka, who has been in devastating form in the desert. Nonetheless, Kartal seems undaunted and ready to take on the most difficult challenge of her career.
"Obviously, every player wants to test their games against the best in the world," said the World No.83. "And I think that after having the match against Coco and the match against Beatriz, it’s definitely going to help a lot more for me. It’s a match that I’m going to be excited about. Whatever the result, it’s going to be a match that I’m going to learn a lot from."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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