HSBC CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 11, 2025

Sonay Kartal

Queens Club

Press Conference

A. ANISIMOVA/S. Kartal

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Sonay, obviously not the result you were hoping for today, but what are your thoughts on the match?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I mean, she didn't do too much wrong in that one. She has kind of one-game style, and that's to hit the ball pretty flat and into the corners. I think when she has a day like today, she's unplayable.

Yeah, credit to her for that match. You know, can probably count on one hand how many unforced errors she made. So yeah, she was very good today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Bad luck. When you come up against a player like that, do you have to kind of accept it and move on? Is it easier to deal with?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, you just take it on the chin. The good thing about the grass is we are couple days and we're back at it again.

Yeah, obviously disappointing today, but tomorrow, you know, we get back to training and get ready for the next one. It's lucky we can always have a tournament that it's so soon.

I can't get too hung up on today. Yeah, I didn't do too much wrong, to be honest with you. She just played an incredible match.

Q. What are your plans now pre-Wimbledon?

SONAY KARTAL: I'll be Nottingham and then Eastbourne.

Q. You said she was unplayable today. When it's like that, what's it like for you on your side of the court? Do you feel rushed, or do you feel like it's still you're executing well, and she's just off the charts?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, it's tough. With her game style, she hits a big ball. Yeah, she can rush me, give me not a lot of time on the ball. It's harder to kind of play my game style when she's just going one corner to the next.

So, yeah, I didn't really get a chance to kind of play my own game, but that was all her doing. She brought the match straight to me from the first point.

Q. Having spent quite a few months playing at this level and playing these best players in the world, how did you find it to kind of impose yourself against these top players and what you've learned about how you get the best out of your game against them?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I'm enjoying it. It's becoming more normal for me now. Every week now I'm playing the better events.

It's becoming normal. Yeah, a couple days, still had a great win, so I'm going to take that one. I feel like I'm still playing great on the grass, so I'll try and take as much confidence as I can into next week.

Q. How have you found this week? It's been a short week, but is it success? Do you think this week has worked for your game?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I have been training well, I'm feeling confident on the grass. Despite today, it's been a positive week. I can take a lot of confidence into next week. I had a great match the other day. Probably one of my best matches.

Yeah, I'm taking this week as a positive week. Yeah, hoping to continue it next week.

Q. I don't know if someone asked you this before, but what tattoo did you actually get in Paris?

SONAY KARTAL: Me and my sister got a matching bumblebee (smiling).

Q. Does that have any significance or was it random?

SONAY KARTAL: I wish it did, but I gave her the choice. She said, Will you get tattoo with me? I said yeah.

Came off after my first match and she had got the bumblebee. So I had to hold my word, and yeah, I went in the end of the week to get that one (smiling).

Q. I just wanted to know about all the success of the GB ladies at the moment. Do you feel like that is a bit of pressure, or do you respond to that with Raducanu and Boulter? How do you react seeing those results and those performances? Does it spur you on?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I think it spurs all of us on. We have a really good group at the minute. We're all playing super well. We all love seeing each other do well, so it's ultimately what we want.

Yeah, obviously I'm hoping those guys can get the win tomorrow. They are playing great. I've seen them in training. I've been hitting with them the last couple of weeks.

Yeah, those guys are playing great. I'm sure they'll go pretty far this week.