Sonay Kartal secured her maiden WTA 250 title in Monastir after coming through qualifying to defeat Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova in straight sets.
British women seem to have a knack for arriving quickly, with Sonay Kartal’s mesmerizing summer continuing to blossom.
Battling through the qualifying rounds in Roehampton, the plucky 22-year-old managed to reach the main draw of Wimbledon for the first time in her career.
A stunning opening two matches saw the dream continue and the prize money increase before Coco Gauff stopped her in her tracks.
A sunny Sunday in Monastir, Tunisia saw the feisty Kartal muscle through qualifying again to win the title, with utter disbelief telegraphed on her face as her opponents final ball sailed long.
British women break 12-year record with Sonay Kartal’s WTA title win
Kartal’s year has accelerated rapidly over the last two months with the 22-year-old finally getting the break she’s deserved.
Her Tunisian title-run propelled her to a career-high ranking of 96, seeing her into the top 100 for the first time.
With Harriet Dart also reaching a career-high of 70 after the US Open, Katie Boulter continuing to roam around the top 30, and Emma Raducanu carefully clambering back into the scene, it is the first time since 2012 there have been four British women in the top 100.
Raducanu’s questionable decision-making ahead of the US Open came under fire from several angles.
Having skipped the Olympics to get a head start on the hard courts, the 21-year-old refused to play the qualifying rounds in Toronto and Cincinnati.
A first round US Open exit for Raducanu unfortunately attracted further criticism. However, the Brit has set herself for a busy schedule for the end of the year.
British tennis is seeing the energy it needs after Andy Murray’s retirement
With Andy Murray filling a hole in British tennis that nobody ever previously could, his teary Olympic departure was as inevitable as it was worrying.
Fortunately for British fans, it didn’t take Jack Draper all that long to pick up the slack and reach the US Open semi-finals.
However on the women’s side, Raducanu’s 2021 US Open run is yet to be replicated. With three surgeries, it’s not her fault that matches haven’t gone her way, however the comedown from New York has been bumpier than expected.
Boulter has never managed to find her feet at the majors, however is carefully establishing herself as a regular top 30 player.
However, the trend seems to be that British players can plug in the gaps when others start to falter.
With Kartal now with more money behind her and likely some more recognition, her main aim now will be to stay fit and continue grinding away.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
