Great Britain's Sonay Kartal reveals she is drawing inspiration from Emma Raducanu as the 23-year-old's 2021 US Open win showed her that nothing is impossible to achieve.
Raducanu, who was still in school in early 2021, received a Wimbledon wildcard that summer and reached the round-of-16 in her debut at The Championships. That sole result saw the Briton receive a major ranking boost and get to around No. 150 in the world. But no one was prepared for what happened at the US Open two months later, when she won a total of 10 matches - all in straight sets - to become the first-ever qualifier in tennis history to win a Grand Slam. At the time, she was still 18 and making only her second Slam appearance.
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Raducanu's friend and hitting partner from junior days, Kartal, has had a different path so far. Between 2021 and 2024, the 24-year-old won a total of 14 Futures titles. Then, she became a WTA champion in Monastir last year.
Since winning Monastir, Kartal has broken into the top-100 for the first time and also achieved a career-high ranking of No. 44 in July. The Briton, who is currently ranked at No. 70 in the world, also made her first Grand Slam round-of-16 at this year's Wimbledon.
Kartal: Raducanu's US Open triumph gave us the firepower and the proof that anything is possible
"Obviously we watched it and it was an incredible couple of weeks for her. It gave us all a bit of extra firepower and just the proof that anything is possible. It was super inspiring to watch someone that you've grown up with, that you were playing under-9 nationals with, lift the US Open trophy. I'd like to see myself breaking into the top 30," Kartal told The Telegraph.
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At 24, Kartal is certainly not the youngest player in the game. However, she has been gradually improving each season and it remains to be seen if she can elevate her game to the next level in 2026.
