Sonay Kartal has risen to become the British number one for the first time in her career, marking an extraordinary comeback from a stress fracture in her back that left her in agony just six months ago. The 24-year-old Briton did not return to competitive action until little under a month ago, but reached the biggest final of her career at the Wuhan Open in only her third tournament back.
Kartal used a protected injury ranking to compete in Wuhan, where she knocked out several top-10 players and former Grand Slam champions before losing to French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska in the final. Earning 650 points as runner-up has pushed her back above her previous ranking and closing in on a career-high of 44th achieved in July 2025.
The achievement highlights the WTA's special ranking rule, which provides a fair platform for players to re-establish their position after prolonged absences. With her ranking secured, Kartal no longer needs a protected ranking to enter tournaments including the Australian Open, giving her greater choice over her schedule as she manages her workload.
Kartal's re-emergence is timely for British tennis, as she became the first British player to reach a WTA 1000 final since Johanna Konta in 2019, and recorded the best result by a British woman since Emma Raducanu won the US Open in 2021.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing