”I've got a lot of tennis years left in me" - Sonay Kartal details the key advice that aided her wonderful Wuhan run

Sonay Kartal has missed much of this year through injury, but the moment she has returned has been a giving other tennis players torment on court. The 24-year-old has reached the final of the Wuhan Open, defeating three top 20 players on the way in the best run of her career.

It has been a rough ride in 2026. Following her China Open quarter-final showing last year, the Brith had set the foundations for what could be a brilliant tennis career. However, a back injury laid waste to any short term ambitions.

This came after another decent run, losing to Elena Rybakina in the fourth round of Indian Wells. It turned out to be a very long wait before she could get back to competing on the big stage. The clay, grass and North American hardcourt swing were skipped with Kartal patienetly waiting for her chance.

Finally, she was fit enough to return to China. After campaigns in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and China Open, she made the trip to Wuhan. After those points had come off in Beijing, Kartal found herself 170th in the world. A lot of work would be needed to get back up into the top 100 and en route to the career high of 44th in the world she achieved in July 2025.

She would exceed all expectations in the final WTA 1000 event of the year. She began with a win over Anhelina Kalinina before taking down Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini and Elina Svitolina with fine performances.

Most recently, she has taken down Jelena Ostapenko with a gritty 7-6(9), 7-6(5) victory with numerous set points missed by her opponent. She will take on either Iga Swiatek or Maja Chwalinska for WTA 1000 glory.

Any tennis player who was in Kartal's position would have wanted to get back to the court as quick as possible, but she stayed grounded and took head of the key advice that would prove to be very useful.

”I think the biggest advice I received was don't rush it," Kartal told the WTA. "When you're playing an individual sport, you want to get back as quickly as you can for many reasons, financially and, I love playing in these atmospheres... but I had to trust the people around me. I know I have the best in the game and at the end of the day, they know what they're doing.

"I might be stubborn and want to try and push them, but ultimately I've got to sit back and listen. It's rare as a tennis player you get six months away, so I tried to make the most of it.”

The level she is playing was not something she expected to achieve so quick. "I definitely did not think that I would find this level this fast," she said. "I think it's a bit of a surprise to me. I've had my best wins in my third tournament back. I did lose six months on the tour, but I don't feel like that when I'm playing on the court. So, for me, that's a big positive. I think now that I'm back, I'm just going to try and maintain this level and try and find my ceiling and see where I can get to in the next year or so."

Kartal had also learned from other players similar experiences on tour before returning to the WTA Tour. ”I was ready to get back kind of end of August time but I knew I was going to come back to these events," Kartal said. "I had to try and replicate the environment of a match as best as you can in training. I don't think you can replicate it, but I didn't rush myself.

”I've got a lot of tennis years left in me, so I took advice from a lot of other players who have had lengthy injuries. I just had a great physio down here, and I just trusted in her and trusted in the team that when I would get back. I didn't know that I would get back to the level that I know I can do.”