Sonay Kartal entered Wimbledon with confidence, determined to bounce back after early exits at Queen’s Club, Nottingham, and Eastbourne. She has struggled at this prestigious Grand Slam before, with her best result being the third round last year. This time, she left no room for error. Her opening match was against the 2017 French Open champion.
On Monday, Kartal faced Jelena Ostapenko, aiming to take revenge after last week’s loss at Eastbourne. And boy, did she deliver! Sonay turned Ostapenko’s frustration into fuel, rattling off five straight games to take the first set. Ostapenko had just returned from a short break after withdrawing from Eastbourne’s Round of 16 due to an ankle injury. She fought back to claim the second set, but Kartal proved stronger in the decider.
Kartal broke early in the final set and quickly raced to a 5-0 lead. Ostapenko’s body language showed she was ready to quit. Though Ostapenko won two late games, the Briton sealed the win on her second match point. Live Tennis on X captured the moment perfectly: “British number 3⃣ Sonay Kartal delights her home crowd by taking out former French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 2-6, 6-2! ”
𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐲
British number 3⃣ Sonay Kartal delights her home crowd by taking out former French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 2-6, 6-2! #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/NKUAoAXvUt
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) June 30, 2025
This win is historic for British tennis. Sonay became the first British player in the Open Era to beat a former Grand Slam champion in Wimbledon’s Women’s Singles First Round. For Ostapenko, who reached the semifinals in 2018 and quarterfinals in 2017 and 2024, it’s a tough blow. But she has shown resilience before. Only time will tell how she bounces back.
Meanwhile, things are looking up for Sonay! Will she keep this momentum going into the second round? Only time will tell!
The post Double Grand Slam Winner Out of Wimbledon on Day 1 as Sonay Kartal Makes History appeared first on EssentiallySports.
