Sonay Kartal has quickly made up for the lost time. Now 20 years old, she is witnessing a breakthrough inWimbledon.
A talented junior Brighton player stagnated before returning to the circuit last October as he was unable to pick up a racket for a year due to an injury, especially a wrist problem. ..
Cartal, who wasn't ranked at that stage, won six of her first nine tournaments played. It was convened in April by the BritishBillie Jean King Cupteam and is now the first tournament. Wimbledon wildcard.
Kartal, currently ranked 226th, said: I was definitely not on the tennis court, so I was playing at this kind of level. Even six months ago, this was not an achievable goal. It's happening fast.
"I always believed that tennis was at the Grand Slam level. It was close to where I could prove it. I believed I would get there when I recovered from my injury. I didn't know when. "
The recent Cartal tennis and results are impressive, but she is still in the video after Emma Raducanu fought at the National Open at the age of nine. The best known.
A long rally of two little girls covering every corner of the court ends with Cartal defeating the forehand winner.
"She remembered the shot," she said with a smile.
"I was actually walking the dog (when the video came out), and my phone just kept disappearing. I was tagged for all these different things. I was thinking, "What's going on?"
"I saw LTA posted. I was going to a tournament, and coaches from all over the world said," Oh, you're the girl in the video, right?
Cartal's Grand Slam debut on Tuesday at 90th place Danka Cobinic has a carrot that is likely to collide with the world's number one Iga Sifion in the second round.
"If that happens, it will be really good for me," Kartal said. "But I still have to go through the match before it's possible."
Ryan Peniston has a great shape on the grass ( Stephen Paston / PA)
(PA Wire)
There are 17 British single players in this year's main draw. It has been the most common since wildcards were dealt much easier than they are today in 2001.
This means that success at the top of the sport is beginning to be underpinned by the profound strength of having 11 British players in the top 200 in men's and women's matches. is showing.
Kartal is one of four home debuts alongside Ryan Peniston, Alastair Gray and Yuriko Miyazaki.
Peniston marked his first foray into the ATP Tour by reaching the quarterfinals at both Queen's Club and Eastbourne, with more than 200 in the annual rankings up to his current career record of 147. I climbed the place.
The left-handed player has a strong shape against Swiss Henry Laaksonen in the first round while his best friend and future housemate Gray will face former Wimbledon Junior Champion Zen Chun Singh. I hope to continue.
The 283rd 24-year-old Londoner followsCameron Norrieafter a year's overlap with the UK's number one at Texas Christian University in the United States. Turned professional last spring.
US colleges have become a very popular route for British players to participate in professional matches. 26-year-old Miyazaki studied for five years before becoming a professional in 2019.
Born in Tokyo For Japanese parents, Miyazaki's family moved to London when she was 10 and her tennis education was in this country, but she was in the UK in March. Officially decided to represent.
This has given us valuable support from the Lawn Tennis Association and is now offering the first Wimbledon wildcard.
"I grew up here, so it's always in my heart," said world number 204, known as Lily.
"Clearly playing at Wimbledon is also my biggest goal, so I think it played a role in that switch. Ultimately, it makes sense for my career and life.
Miyazaki has a difficult match against France's Caroline Garcia, who won the title in Germany on Saturday, but could face Raducanu in the second round. I have.
