Sonay Kartal lit up a sizzling opening day at Wimbledon with a thunderous first-round upset, sending 20th seed and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko crashing out in a gripping three-set clash.
On a blazing afternoon at SW19, the 23-year-old Briton held her nerve and showed off her growing maturity, dispatching the Latvian star 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 in a rollercoaster encounter on Court Three.
"That was by far one of the toughest matches I've played," Kartal admitted afterwards, sweat-drenched but beaming. ""I would say that I struggle against the big hitters. I've made a conscious effort this year to play the bigger matches and put myself under the most pressure out on court.".
She continued by stating: "I knew that I wouldn't get the results straightaway but that it would eventually pay off, and that's what happened today.".
Set 1
Things didn’t start smoothly for Kartal. Down 5-2 and looking outplayed by the heavy-hitting Latvian, it seemed like a straight-sets exit might be on the cards. Yet with the crowd firmly behind her, Kartal sparked into life just in time.
A key turning point came at 4-5 when she saved multiple set points, forcing Ostapenko to overhit under pressure. A mistimed forehand into the net from the 2017 French Open champion allowed Kartal to reel off five consecutive games, sealing the set with a confident fist-pump and a roar of defiance.
Set 2
True to her rollercoaster reputation, Ostapenko came out swinging in the second. Finding her range on the return and cleaning up the unforced errors, she dominated the rallies, pushing Kartal well behind the baseline.
Though Kartal hung in the exchanges, Ostapenko’s power proved too much. With a few signature winners off both flanks, she levelled the match in under 30 minutes, staring down her box as if to say: order restored.
Set 3
With a calm intensity, she returned in the final set, determined not to let momentum slip. An early break deflated Ostapenko, and the Briton smelled blood. A ridiculous forehand around the net post earlier in the match had already shown her confidence, but in this set, she backed it up with relentless returning and smart court coverage.
Meanwhile, Ostapenko’s frustration boiled over. She muttered to herself, scolded her box, and even barked at the crowd for being too noisy, demanding the umpire intervene. Kartal stayed laser-focused, breaking again for a 4-1 lead and serving out the match in style, arms aloft as the crowd rose to its feet.
Kartal’s win marks her third victory over a top-20 player this season and comes exactly a year after she stunned crowds with a wildcard run to Wimbledon’s third round. Ranked 281 in the world then, she’s soared over 200 spots since, and looked every bit the composed contender under the spotlight.
BIG WIN FOR SONAY KARTAL! 🙌
— LTA (@the_LTA) June 30, 2025
Sonay takes down No.20 seed Jelena Ostapenko to move on to the second round at @Wimbledon #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/PBC5DfdJSg
There are 23 British players competing in the men’s and women’s singles at the All England Club this year: the largest home contingent since 1984.
With British number one Katie Boulter and former US Open champ Emma Raducanu still to come, Kartal’s win has not only launched the home campaign but raised hopes for another deep run at SW19.
And with that, Sonay Kartal advances to the second round of Wimbledon, where she will face Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova. Tomova secured her spot after her first-round opponent, world No. 6 Ons Jabeur, retired due to injury during their match, handing the Bulgarian a somewhat unexpected passage into round two.
Despite the circumstances, Tomova remains a formidable opponent, known for her resilience on the grass courts. For Kartal, the message is clear: she is not at Wimbledon just to make up the numbers but to compete and progress deep into the tournament.
Sean Killen is a contributing journalist for both DartsNews.com and Tennisuptodate.com, where he balances his university studies with writing news updates, player features, and match reports across both sports.
Before joining the sites, Sean built experience across student and professional media. He serves as TV News Director for Cardiff University TV (CUTV), has reported for Gair Rhydd and The Cardiff Times, and produced viral news coverage that gained international attention. His reporting spans sports, breaking news, and human-interest features, and he’s worked across platforms including print, online, radio, and video.
Sean has followed the ATP and WTA tennis tours closely for years, with a growing interest in darts through the Premier League and World Championship circuits. He brings a sharp eye for storytelling, a commitment to accuracy, and a passion for making niche sports accessible to wider audiences.
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