ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2025

Sonay Kartal

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Sonay, welcome to your first-ever Roland Garros main draw. How does it feel to be playing in the main draw of this event for the very first time?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I'm super excited. Last year I didn't get to play because I was injured and things like that. I missed the whole of the grass season last year.

Yeah, I'm excited to get going. I feel really good on these courts. I feel like I'm playing well. So yeah, I'm excited to get going in a few days.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell us about your experience here. Did you play as a junior?

SONAY KARTAL: I played quallies I think two years ago maybe. Yeah, never did any juniors here. That quallie two years ago was the first time.

Q. How do you find the courts? We know you like playing on clay. How do the courts here differ to what you've played on previously?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I love the clay. I grew up playing on it. For me, I feel comfortable on these courts. I think they suit me really well.

I played at different times throughout the day just to get used to it, as well. Played early this morning. Played late last night. Play in the afternoon today. Yeah, I'll get used to the conditions.

Obviously at different times it's more lively. I think last couple days has been damp, so I think my heavy ball is suiting well.

Q. How much confidence can you take from the Billie Jean King Cup and your performances on clay there?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, that week was huge for me for a lot of reasons. I think just getting that debut was really important for me. It was, again, I think my first professional match on the clay, as well.

Yeah, I had a lot of confidence going into there. I think the tournaments following, yeah, the results weren't possibly what I was too happy with. Each match I was playing, I feel like I was playing well, as well.

Yeah, I think I've grown in a lot of confidence in the last few weeks.

Q. A couple of Masters 1000 wins on clay. You're quite new to the whole tour. Those kind of building blocks must be something worth cherishing as you go along.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, the last kind of I'd say maybe even the whole of this year has been new experiences for me playing the 1000s, just consistently playing the WTA events, no more ITFs. I think for me that's starting to feel more normal.

At the start of the year, there were a lot of new experiences. Obviously dealing with tournaments being two weeks, as well, instead of one week. All that kind of stuff.

Yeah, it's starting to feel more normal, which is, yeah, something that was going to happen just with the more events I played at that level.

Q. What about Andreeva, do you know much about her?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I played her last year. I think it was last round of my Wimbledon quallies match. Yeah, obviously completely different surface.

Yeah, that was the last and only time I ever played her.

Q. When you were injured last year, did you watch any of this or did you just avoid it?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I mean, I watch all my friends and stuff, a lot of the Brits. I follow those girls. Obviously the guys playing, as well.

Yeah, I watched a lot of the clay season last year.

Q. I understand your career-high ranking, just outside the top 50 now. That's another huge step you can achieve at this tournament.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah. That's definitely something I want to try and get, achieve I guess, this week. I want to go into the grass ideally inside the top 50. That would be a big goal for me to achieve. That is my goal for me this year, just to break inside that top 50.

If I could do that this week, yeah, I'll gain a lot of confidence from that.

Q. Is British No. 1 a goal to get for you? A bit of a race developing between the three of you.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, obviously it would be a huge honor to be that. I've still got a lot of time. I'm only 23. It's not my only goal that I'm pushing towards. I think I've got a lot more things that I want to achieve.

I'd say if that does happen, obviously that is a huge honor. I would not say it's the main goal or anything like that currently.

Q. Retired from your last match in the 125?

SONAY KARTAL: Paris last week.

Q. What was the issue there?

SONAY KARTAL: A just had a little wrist niggle. Being more cautious than anything. This week I wanted to come in here feeling super fresh and get everything kind of put to bed.

Yeah, it was a smart move for me. I'm feeling really good. I think it was, yeah, a good decision ultimately.

Q. You still got the same coach that you developed with, is that right?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I've had the same coaches since I was six.

Q. So are they kind of learning about the tour as you are?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, we all did it when we got thrown into this, learning together. We went through every kind of level of tournament you can imagine, through the British system, doing all of those, then through to Tennis Europes, ITF, WTAs. We both kind of didn't really know what we were getting in for.

We were lucky, had a lot of advice and guidance from other players and their coaches, as well. It was just something we had to work out together.