Hot Shot: Kartal lands a scorcher to take down Ostapenko at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON -- On the hottest opening day of Wimbledon on record, a scorching forehand from Sonay Kartal View Profile raised the temperatures even higher on No. 3 Court.
The Briton pulled off the first upset of a seeded player at Wimbledon 2025, triumphing 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 over No. 20 Jelena Ostapenko View Profile in the first round. Midway through the second set, she tracked down one of Ostapenko's full-power strikes and responded with a forehand on the run that landed precisely in her opponent's corner.
Sensational Sonay ✨#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/LI3POydajR
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025
With Kartal's home crowd in raptures, neither player could quite believe the shot had found its target. Ostapenko dropped her racquet in shock, and it took a second for Kartal to process what she had done -- but when she did, a broad smile broke out on her face as she raised her hands to acknowledge the applause.
The result reverses No. 51-ranked Kartal's 6-3, 7-6(2) first-round loss to Ostapenko in Eastbourne a week ago, and marks her third career Top 30 win. She's into the second round of Wimbledon for the second straight year, having reached the third round as a qualifier in 2024.
For Kartal, who came from 5-2 down and saved three set points in the first set, defeating the 2018 semifinalist trumps any of her previous wins on grass.
"I would say it probably ranks top," she told press afterward. "Just proving to myself that I can compete with the best. She's obviously an incredible player and has so much experience on the tour, as well. She has an amazing game for grass. I think that one is probably my biggest win, and also kind of I left the court with so much more confidence than I did in the ones last year, for sure.
"To come off and play the opening round and to get that kind of win, I've got masses of confidence. I think I played pretty well today. I think I handled her pace well, deflected her pace as best as I could. I think I served very well, as well. I don't think that I could have done too much better at times in that match. Yeah, I feel confident. I feel like this is the best I've ever played on grass. It's the most confident I've also got in my game, as well. I think I'm in a pretty good spot for Round 2."
Kartal next faces Viktoriya Tomova View Profile , who advanced after two-time finalist Ons Jabeur View Profile was forced to retire trailing 7-6(5), 2-0 due to breathing difficulties.
