Sonay Kartal rises to British number one after back injury
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Sonay Kartal of Britain became the top-ranked British tennis player after reaching the final of the Wuhan Open, just a month after returning to competition.
Six months prior, Kartal struggled to complete simple tasks due to a stress fracture in her back. She spent months recovering and working with a team including coach Ben Reeves, fitness coach Ian Aylward, and physio Dani Gillanders.
Kartal entered the Wuhan Open using a protected injury ranking, a rule allowing players returning from long-term injuries to re-establish their position, and advanced through the tournament defeating several highly ranked opponents including former Grand Slam champions. Although she lost the final to Maja Chwalinska, earning 650 ranking points boosted Kartal from 170th to 49th in the world, nearing her career high of 44th.
This success is significant because Kartal will now be able to enter tournaments, including the Australian Open, without relying on the protected ranking, giving her more control over her schedule. She withdrew from the Japan Open to prioritize recovery after a demanding Asian swing. Her performance marks the best result for a British woman since Emma Raducanu won the US Open in 2021, and the first British player to reach a WTA 1000 final since Johanna Konta in 2019.
