Kartal reaches Wuhan semi-finals after beating Svitolina

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 13:02 · Archive

Sonay Kartal defeated fifth seed Elina Svitolina to reach her first WTA 1000 semi-final.

Sonay Kartal defeated fifth seed Elina Svitolina at the Wuhan Open to reach her first WTA 1000 semi-final. The British player returned to the WTA Tour on Friday after a six-month absence caused by a stress fracture in her back.

Kartal had previously achieved a career-high ranking of 44 in July 2025 but dropped to 170 whilst injured. Rather than return at lower-ranked events, she chose to use a protected injury ranking to enter top-tier WTA 1000 tournaments in China. She said she decided to 'throw myself in the deep end and play the best players in the world', adding that 'the risk has paid off'.

The 24-year-old expressed surprise at her rapid return to this level of competition. 'I didn't expect to be back at this level this quickly – I don't think many people did,' Kartal said. She acknowledged the difficulty of returning to match play after months away, noting that 'it's very easy to train well but the match scenario is completely different'.

Kartal had previously competed at Indian Wells in March, where she defeated 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys and 2024 US Open semi-finalist Emma Navarro before being forced to retire from a fourth-round meeting with world number one Elena Rybakina.

How it is being reported

• Sussex tennis star Sonay Kartal makes history during stunning return to action after six-month injury nightmareBrighton tennis star Sonay Kartal has continued her remarkable comeback from injury, by making history at the Wuhan Open in China.Chichester Observer · 16 Oct, 12:22
• Kartal upsets Svitolina to reach Wuhan semi-finalsSonay Kartal's winning streak following a long injury lay-off continues as she seals a hard-fought victory over fifth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open.BBC Sussex · 16 Oct, 09:12

In this story: Sonay Kartal · Elina Svitolina · Wuhan Open · Madison Keys · Emma Navarro · Elena Rybakina

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