THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2025

Sonay Kartal

Press Conference

S. KARTAL/D. Parry

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Sonay, another great win. Give us your thoughts.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, obviously I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous walking out there. It's a big court with a match that has a lot of meaning to me. Obviously last year, that was also in the back of my mind, losing to Coco on the same court in the same round.

I tried to take everything I learnt from that match and put it into play on the court. Tried to relax as best as I could. Having a 4-1 lead down, just tried to get back on the scoreboard one by one.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You mentioned the 4-1 lead down. You mentioned on the court potentially about some nerves. How did you manage to turn the way that match was going back in your favor?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, credit to her, she came out from the very first point. She looked like she had no nerves herself, was playing super clean. Yeah, really bringing the match to me straight from the start.

I think last year's match helped me a lot. I think I left that court last year feeling like I didn't play my best level because of the nerves I was carrying.

I think today I just wanted to just try my best, to put them aside as best as I could. Obviously it's easier said than done, but I was just trying to relax myself and kind of relax the shoulders and I guess trying to hit through the ball much more.

I think when you're nervous, obviously your shoulders get a bit tight, the racquet feels heavy. You can de-accelerate, which sends the ball flying. Yeah, I was trying to rip the ball even harder. I think I was just clawing back one game at a time.

When I got it level, I felt like I was pretty good. The nerves were gone. I just felt super comfortable out there.

Q. Everyone is talking about your composure. Even when you went on the run of nine games in a row, you stayed so levelheaded. What is the internal monologue at that point? What are you saying to yourself?

SONAY KARTAL: No, I think it's more towards the end for me when you can kind of see the finish line in sight. I think that's when you can start to kind of overthink. When I was 4-1 down, I was just telling myself I have a long way to go before this match is over.

I kind of trusted in my game that eventually I was going to start to relax into it, whether that was me winning the first set or losing. I felt like either was I was going to start the second set and give everything I had. I knew I probably had maybe an hour left on this court, so I was trying to give everything I had in the tank for that one.

I was impressed with myself how towards the end of the match I go 4-Love up. I felt super calm, super collected, which yeah, was weird because when I played Jelena in the first round, I started to get nervous toward the end. Obviously it's a bigger match and bigger occasion now.

I was pretty pleased with that. I think I did well to calm the nerves.

Q. You mentioned after the game you had a lot of people there to support you. Could you tell us more about who was there? Do you have a partner?

SONAY KARTAL: It was both. I had, yeah, all my closest family in the box, coaches that I've been with. Yeah, those guys were in the box.

Then I had a lot of people scattered on the seats all from kind of like my club, members that I've known since I was 6. Yeah, that was super special.

I couldn't necessarily see them, but I could hear a lot of familiar voices in the crowd, which was definitely nice.

Q. Grand Slams are quite different from tour events because you have a match, a day off. Maybe you're getting into that rhythm. What do you do with your days off? Will you hang around and watch Emma on Centre?

SONAY KARTAL: My day off has been robbed tomorrow. I think I've got doubles tomorrow, which is a bit annoying.

I don't mind it. I'm getting used to it. I played a few 1000 events this year, and obviously that's the same format.

It's also another reason why this year I wanted to really emphasize on playing the bigger tournaments for occasions like this. I can get used to the layout and everything because it was all new to me.

Yeah, I mean, I probably won't stay here. Probably try to get out of the sun. Yeah. I will be watching and supporting Emma from at home under the AC.

Q. Back to your early days, can you tell us what happened sort of after you became quite good at tennis, in between the ages of 11 and 18? Where were you training? Were you playing any matches? I know you were playing other sports as well.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, it was a bit hit or miss. I was injured for a few years on and off. I kind of never really got consistent.

I was still playing at the club I'm at today down in Brighton. I was playing, yeah, I think like national events, doing those, the LTA events. Doing the, yeah, Nationals for each age group.

Then I would just go missing a little bit because I'd have an injury or something like that. So it was never consistent, but I was always playing the national events.

Q. As the number of Brits dwindles at Wimbledon, the pressure mounts up on those that remain. How do you think you're equipped to handle that? You strike me you might actually relish it.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I enjoy it. I think it's an honor. Obviously you've got a lot of attention on you, it means you're doing good things.

No, I'm pretty calm and pretty collected. I don't think it's going to affect me too much. But no, I'm just enjoying it all. I'll still pretty young. It's my first fourth round.

Yeah, I feel like I'm going to go out on the court in the next round kind of with nothing to lose at the minute. I'm going to go swinging. I think the pressure that I'll feel is the pressure I will be putting on myself just wanting to perform as best as I can.

Q. You joked that you wish you had been born a different decade because you like music from the past. Tell us about the bands you listen to. I thought you might be an Oasis fan.

SONAY KARTAL: I like a few of their songs. I wouldn't say I'm a hardcore Oasis fan. I like a lot of '90s music, old school, 2000s. I'm pretty versatile, to be honest with you.

I have never really had one artist that I really like. I've never had an artist release an album that I love every single song. I kind of flicker between different songs. I have a bad habit of playing one song, like, 50 times and then absolutely hating it for the rest of the year.

I'd say maybe '90s music is probably my favorite.

Q. Karaoke song...

SONAY KARTAL: "Islands in the Stream", yeah, that's the one.

Q. One of your tattoos reads, "The show must go on." Did that quote relate to anything in particular?

SONAY KARTAL: Not really. I'd like to say it did, but honestly, on that one I just liked the design. My tattoos all started with meaning. Then I guess the more I got, the kind of more spontaneous and braver I got. Yeah, I mean, early days I would have to like it for a good few months. Whereas now I like it for two days, and I'll get something put on.

Yeah, that one's got no relevant meaning.

Q. Have your family in Turkey been able to watch you play? Do you speak any Turkish?

SONAY KARTAL: I think they're watching on the tele. They haven't been over here. No, I used to go a lot as a kid, I guess before tennis really took off. Now I haven't been able to go back too much.

But no, I mean, my dad will FaceTime them all the time. I can always hear them talking about me in the other room and stuff.

My Turkish is very basic. I can have a standard conversation, unfortunately. I kind of wish I grew up speaking it or my parents spoke it to me. It's something I need to learn as well because their English isn't too great. I feel like that's my part to learn the language a bit better.

Q. Hobby-wise away from tennis and tattoos, what else are you into?

SONAY KARTAL: I'm a big animal lover. I've got a dog. When I'm home, I try and spend as much time at home with family, obviously being away.

Yeah, I'm lucky where I live. I'm near the sea, et cetera. Yeah, I like to go on little adventures with the dog. Yeah, my downtime, I just try to spend as much time with the family. Obviously it's tough traveling.

For me, I'd say it's maybe my first proper year on tour. I've been home hardly any this year. I think after this tournament, I'll be spending some time at home and catching up with the ones that mean the most to me.

Q. You mentioned about your teenage years when you were doing other things, had injuries. Was tennis always the kind of thing that you expected to do as your job, or was there anything else? Were you looking at other careers?

SONAY KARTAL: No. I think tennis for me... I mean, I played football and cricket as well as a kid at the time, the same level. I think once I committed to tennis, I always felt like tennis was the one. I always felt like I was slightly different as a player to most players at the time that I was growing up with.

Yeah, I had a lot of belief. I had good people around me that really backed me and said that I just needed a good run, I could have a breakout year.

So no, I think tennis, despite me being sidelined for years on and off, it was still always the goal for me.

Q. You said you want to play the biggest matches. What moment during the last year have you felt that you belong on the tour or has that moment maybe come now?

SONAY KARTAL: Definitely this week. But I would say maybe really Indian Wells for me. Yeah, I felt like I had good matches, had my first top-20 win there.

Yeah, it's a mix of things. I think even though I maybe haven't backed the results up as much as I would like to prior to this, on the clay as well, I felt like I'd go one or two rounds, then lose the round. I still felt like in the matches I won and lost, the ones I lost I felt like I was improving. I felt like the margins I lost by in each match I was making smaller. I think it is an accumulation. Definitely this week will help me massively moving forwards.

Q. Where does your internal drive come from? When you were younger, was it all coming from you, or was there a member of your family that was pushing you?

SONAY KARTAL: The drive comes from myself. I'm super disciplined. I'm super determined. When I set my mind to something, I want to achieve it. I want to prove to myself that I can do it, as well. I'd say the drive is 100% me.

Growing up, my family was super supportive. They said whatever sport or whatever you want to take up, like, as long as you try 100%, we'll back you all the way. I think I was super lucky with that. Yeah, they backed me.

I think I got into tennis from my brother. He used to play. As a younger sister, I used to go up and watch him, want to copy him. He played at kind of like a county level and then decided he didn't want to play it. Yeah, that's where I first started on the tennis court.