Sonay Kartal’s Wimbledon Rise: From Tattooed Underdog to National Hope
There’s a certain electricity in the air at Wimbledon this year — and a lot of it is coming from Britain’s very own Sonay Kartal. Just a year ago, Kartal was ranked outside the top 300, a gritty self-funded player with little mainstream attention. Now, she's the talk of the town, having stormed her way into the fourth round of Wimbledon 2025, defeating Diane Parry in commanding fashion, 6-4, 6-2.
What’s striking about Kartal isn’t just the quality of her tennis — though that’s impressive in itself — but her whole presence on and off the court. She walks onto the grass in loose-fitting, retro-inspired tennis gear, echoing her love for '90s music, with 14 tattoos inked into her skin, each telling a story — or at least a vibe. One, etched boldly on her arm, reads: “the show must go on.” And really, that phrase feels tailor-made for this exact moment.
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Kartal's Wimbledon run hasn’t been a fluke or a lucky draw. It’s been a story of belief, bounce-back, and sheer willpower. She beat 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the first round, then sailed past Viktoriya Tomova, and followed that with perhaps the most composed performance of her career against Parry — where, notably, she came back from 1-4 down in the first set to win nine straight games.
Now ranked 51st in the world, Kartal’s fearless attitude seems to be paying dividends. She hasn’t just clawed her way back from injuries — including two years without even picking up a racquet — but she’s transformed herself from a teen without a coach, hopping around tournaments on her own dime, into a player standing on the edge of Grand Slam greatness.
And she’s taking all the new attention in stride. “It’s an honour,” she said when asked about the pressure of being Britain’s last woman standing. “It means you’re doing good things.” Kartal, only 23, knows she’s got nothing to lose — and that’s making her dangerous.
On Sunday, she’ll face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a seasoned pro who just knocked out Naomi Osaka. It’ll be a tight contest, but Kartal seems unfazed. Her mindset? "I’m going to go swinging." That bravery, that boldness — it’s not just tattooed on her wrist; it’s stitched into her tennis.
And yes, she did promise a new tattoo if she reached the second week of Wimbledon. A strawberry? Too cliché, she says. She’d rather go for something only true tennis lovers would understand. Something subtle, but meaningful — just like her rise.
From 864th in the world to Britain’s beacon of hope at SW19, Kartal’s journey is the kind that doesn’t just inspire — it rewrites what’s possible. Whether she makes the quarter-finals or not, this run has shown the world what British grit, talent, and a bit of ink can do. The show, indeed, must go on. And with Kartal in the spotlight, it’s one worth watching.
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