HSBC CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 9, 2025

Sonay Kartal

Queens Club

Press Conference

S. KARTAL/D. Kasatkina

6-1, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Many congratulations on your opening win. How pleased are you with the match today?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, super proud of that one, to be able to come out and bring the level that I brought in the first round, first opening match. I think I played some of my best tennis if not my best tennis.

Yeah, I'm proud of that one today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Top-50 debut, biggest win of your career. Is this the best day of your career? How does it feel to tick off those two milestones?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, obviously was nice waking up to that top 50 today, and yeah, to also get another best win of my career. Yeah, it's definitely up there with one of the more memorable days. Yeah, I think I'm starting off the grass season well.

Q. Obviously your first experience of Queen's today. How did you find it?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I was excited to be the first Brit on the Andy Murray Arena. Was definitely a court I wanted to play on. I think it's an incredible court.

Yeah, it's good to have the court packed out and experience the atmosphere with the crowd right behind you exactly when I needed it. Yeah, I loved every second.

Q. And the start of the grass court season, do you have any hopes or aspirations for what you want to get out of it?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I mean, I think I want to... results-wise, not too much. I think I definitely want to go deep in the tournaments leading to up Wimbledon, and I'd like to definitely equal if not better what I did last year.

You know, for me, grass is tricky. I've got to adapt my game style. So I think if I can bring the level and kind of confidence in my game that I did today, win or lose, I think it would be something that would help me kind of post-grass, as well.

Q. The LTA are saying it's predominantly women spectators here this week. How did it feel? Did you sense that it was skewed a little bit more towards women and they were cheering you on?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, obviously it's super special that we get to play here, as well. I came to this tournament as a kid and grew up watching it in person and on the telly.

Yeah, for us women to be able to play here I think is special, and obviously to have the crowd, whether or not it is women predominant or not, I think it's just a special moment for us to be able to play on this court.

Q. This time last year, you were in the low 200s and then had the Wimbledon run that launched you up to where you are now. If someone had told you last year you'd be sitting here top 50 in the world, two top-20 wins this year, what would you have said? Does it feel like a full-circle moment?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, it's something I thought would happen. Maybe not necessarily so soon. I think it's come pretty fast.

But I think, you know, I have been doing so many good things off the court and kind of in the practice sessions. So I did believe that it would finally transfer.

So, yeah, I'm proud. I think I'm handling the occasions better. I'm getting used to it. You know, it's something that the last few months, well, this year, I made sure I played the bigger events so I can get used to the feeling. Yeah, it's starting to feel more the normal now for me.

Q. Daria is obviously a good grass player. She's won titles on the surface. What was your impression of playing her on the grass, and what do you think it was about your game that helped you beat her?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, obviously I was aware of her results. I know she had some great ones last year.

So, yeah, I think I was well prepared. I kind of knew what game style she would try and play, and I think there were some aspects where we kind of were similar in some defense.

Yeah, I just tried, I knew I had to stay ahead and I knew I had to hold my serve. I think there were key moments like that, just making sure I held my serve. And I know a lot of her service games I was getting into, I was losing them "just."

So I knew I had to always stay ahead and kind of never let her to feel too confident. I think then if she did, I think it would have gone the completely other way. I think when she's playing confident and she feels like she's playing well, I think she's sometimes unplayable.

Q. The match isn't finishing here, but Jodie could get through. What would it mean if you end up playing her and another Brit gets through today?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, she's my doubles partner this week. It won't necessarily be nice playing your doubles partner and one of your closest friends, but listen, if she wins today, I think it will be a super-good moment for either of us. To have two Brits, second round in the first grass tournament, I think will be great.

I'm sure we will both bring a good level. I'm sure we'll both love it. Hopefully we can put on a good match if she does get through.