Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Who Is Sonay Kartal, the Last Female British Player Left at Wimbledon 2025?

Sonay Kartal’s breakout run has made her the last British woman standing in the 2025 draw.

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

With British hopes thinning at Wimbledon 2025, Sonay Kartal has emerged as the last woman standing. From humble beginnings in Brighton to a breakthrough season that’s seen her crack the top 50 and notch career-defining wins, Kartal’s steady rise has been shaped by persistence and a strong support system. Here’s a closer look at the 23-year-old’s journey so far, from her roots and coaching team to her standout moments and next big test on the grass.

Who Is Sonay Kartal, the Last Female Brit at Wimbledon 2025?

Sonay Kartal is a rising star in British tennis, known for her grit and rapid climb through the ranks. Born in London on October 28, 2001, Kartal picked up a racquet at the age of six and never looked back. A Longhill High School alum, she drew early inspiration from legends like Kim Clijsters and Roger Federer, both known for their fluid styles and the number of Grand Slam wins ofcourse, with the former having four and the latter having 20.

Sonay Kartal 🇬🇧 wins the WTA Monastir without ever having won a WTA match before this week!

Defeats Sramkova 🇸🇰 6-3 7-5 and breaks into the WTA top 100 tomorrow pic.twitter.com/TfwMFDvGoW
— Chris Goldsmith (@TheTennisTalker) September 15, 2024

Turning professional in 2019, Kartal began to hit her stride in 2021 with her first ITF title in Antalya. Since then, she has collected 14 ITF trophies, including a walkover win in Shrewsbury in 2024. Her big moment came that same year, when she claimed her maiden WTA title at the Jasmin Open, defeating Rebecca Sramkova in straight sets, a win that firmly placed her on the map as one to watch.

2025 Is Sonay Kartal’s Breakthrough Year!

For Sonay Kartal, 2025 is proving to be the season where promise turns into impact. Breaking into the top 50 for the first time, Kartal earned a direct entry into the Australian Open main draw, a career milestone, even though her campaign ended in the first round against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. But what followed was a steady string of main-draw appearances and, more importantly, a growing mental edge.

It's a sensational straight sets win for Sonay Kartal! 🇬🇧👏

She reaches the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time in her career ✨ pic.twitter.com/3ft1b5z77j
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 4, 2025

The real turning point came at Indian Wells, where Kartal stormed into the Round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event for the first time. Along the way, she claimed her first top-20 win over Beatriz Haddad Maia and also defeated Varvara Lepchenko and Polina Kudermetova without dropping a set. Now at Wimbledon, she’s gone even further, stunning 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the opener and notching commanding wins over Viktoriya Tomova and Diane Parry.

Sonay Kartal’s Career Earnings

Sonay Kartal has earned $455,375 in her total career prize money, as per her official WTA profile.

Sonay Kartal you are sensational 👊#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/3PjDp2L4mz
— LTA (@the_LTA) July 4, 2025

Who Are Sonay Kartal’s Parents?

Kartal was born in Sidcup, southeast London, and raised in the seaside town of Brighton, where she still lives. Her Turkish roots come from her father, who once ran two Turkish restaurants in Brighton and played an unexpected role in shaping her tennis journey. She also still keeps close ties to her Turkish heritage, with many relatives in Istanbul.

However, the names of her parents are not available in the public domain.

As revealed in a pre-Wimbledon interview with Standard Sport, Kartal’s path to the court began with a coincidental encounter. Her father struck up a conversation with a customer who happened to be an LTA tennis coach. That coach invited Kartal’s brother to a local training session, and young Sonay, eager to do everything her brother did, tagged along. And so her tennis journey began.

"I had all my closest family in the box and coaches that I've been with. Those guys were in the box. That was super special." ❤️

Playing the big moments, an internal drive & family support – how Sonay Kartal reached the @Wimbledon fourth round ⤵️
— LTA (@the_LTA) July 5, 2025

In a post-match press conference, Kartal said about her parents as per The Express, “Yeah, I mean, they’ve dedicated their life for me to try and achieve a dream. I was pretty sporty as a kid, was doing football and cricket as well. They’re the most relaxed parents you’ll probably ever meet.

They never pushed me into doing anything, or even a sport. They just let me decide to do what I loved to do. As long as I gave it my best, they were going to back that 100 percent. Yeah, they kind of lurk in the background a little bit and support me behind the scenes.”

Who Coaches Sonay Kartal?

Sonay Kartal has been guided from the very start by Julie Hobbs, known during her playing days as Julie Pullin, who once reached the second round of Wimbledon doubles in 2000. Hobbs has coached Kartal since she was just six years old, and fittingly, Kartal’s very first tennis memory involves being taken to meet her at the court.

🎧"She's had an experience of all of them (French, US & Wimbledon slams), and hopefully will feel more comfortable now".

Pavilion & Avenue coach Julie Hobbs ahead of @kartal_sonay Wimbledon 1st round match later #wimbledon2023 #sussex @the_LTA pic.twitter.com/3LL6UIoiEL
— BBC Sport Sussex (@BBCSussexSport) July 4, 2023

Today, while Kartal’s team has expanded with the addition of Ben Reeves and other support, her roots remain intact. She continues to train at the Pavilion & Avenue Tennis Club in Hove, where her family settled after moving from Sidcup.

Who Is Sonay Kartal Playing Next?

Up next for Sonay Kartal is a high-stakes showdown against Russian veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the fourth round of Wimbledon. Kartal sits at world No. 51, while Pavlyuchenkova is close behind at No. 50. The 34-year-old, who turned pro in 2005, is a former 2021 French Open finalist and has been in blistering form this week.

SONAY KARTAL IS INTO THE WIMBLEDON FOURTH ROUND! ☀️🤍

Another sensational performance from Sonay who reaches the last 16 for the very first time #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | @Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/oJnRlvdGgm
— LTA (@the_LTA) July 4, 2025

Pavlyuchenkova has taken down some serious names en route to the fourth round, including Ajla Tomljanovic, 31st seed Ashlyn Krueger, and most notably, four-time major winner Naomi Osaka.

Mandatory Image Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Sonay Kartal

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.