WUHAN — Sonay Kartal made history at the 2026 Wuhan Open on Saturday, upsetting world No 34 Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(9), 7-6(5) in the semi-finals at the WTA 1000 tournament in China to reach the biggest final of her career.
The 24-year-old Brit produced two remarkable recoveries on the hard courts in Wuhan. In the opening set she fought back from a double break down at 1-4, saved three set points and edged a pulsating tiebreak 9-7, before being broken in the second game of the second set, falling 1-4 behind again and surviving three more set points on her serve to seal victory in another tiebreak 7-5.
“That was probably one of the toughest matches I’ve ever played,” Kartal said. “At times she is unplayable and you have to ride that wave. Mentally, this is one of the best performances of my career.”
Competing in Wuhan using a protected ranking after missing more than six months due to injury this year, the world No 170 has become the lowest-ranked player to reach the final of a WTA 1000 tournament since the category was introduced in 1990. Her run has earned 650 ranking points, taking her total to 1,097 and lifting her 120 places to world No 50 in the Live WTA Rankings, closing in on her career-high of 44th set in July 2025.
The surge also puts Kartal on course to claim the British No 1 ranking for the first time, capping a remarkable week in Wuhan as she prepares for the biggest final of her career.