Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal has made WTA history by defeating Jelena Ostapenko to reach the biggest final of her career at the Wuhan Open in China. Ranked No 170 in the world, Kartal made a remarkable comeback after missing six months of the season due to a back injury.

In a thrilling match, the 24-year-old became the lowest-ranked WTA 1000 finalist since the format's introduction in 2009. Her impressive run included victories over top players:

• Elina Svitolina (World No 6)
• Belinda Bencic (Former Olympic Champion)
• Jasmine Paolini (Former Wimbledon Finalist)

The match against Ostapenko showcased Kartal's resilience as she trailed in both sets. Kartal won two tiebreaks with scores of 7-6 (11-9) and 7-6 (7-5), saving all six set points she faced during the two-hour contest.

Post-match, Kartal expressed her pride, stating, “Wow! That was probably one of the toughest matches I've played... Mentally, I think this is one of the best performances I've had in my career.”

Previously, Kartal had defeated Ostapenko in the first round of Wimbledon 2025. The match dynamics were heavily influenced by Ostapenko's aggressive play, finishing with 50 winners against 41 unforced errors, while Kartal maintained a balanced ratio of 13-13.

Looking ahead, Kartal is set to face either Iga Swiatek or Maja Chwalinska in the final. After her successful comeback, Kartal will climb 120 places in the WTA rankings to No 50 and become the new British No 1, replacing Katie Boulter. Her journey marks a significant milestone in her career, as she stated, “To achieve this, regardless, is a huge milestone for me.”