THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2025

Sonay Kartal

Press Conference

S. KARTAL/V. Tomova

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Sonay, another win. Must be feeling pretty good right now.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, that match today was a very clean match from me. I don't think I did much wrong at all. I was seeing it really well. I felt confident. I feel like I was playing really aggressive tennis. Did exactly what me and the coach wanted to go out and do.

So yeah, very happy with the performance today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You spoke to the BBC about how you stay so cool and levelheaded. How do you think that helped you out there? You didn't show any emotion at all.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I try my best. When I was getting close to the finish line in the second set, I just tried my best to put everything to one side, forget the score, forget the occasion. I just tried to treat it as if I was kind of playing a practice set or something like that. Just wanted to keep exactly what I was doing, play with the same freedom, and really commit to all the shots.

Q. You got two wins today. Is it nice to have the friendly base supporting you through this with Jodie?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, it's amazing. Obviously she's great to have on the bench. She's super vocal. She knows exactly what to say to kind of fire me up in the big moments, to keep me calm.

Yeah, it's really nice to have a familiar face and one of your closest friends on the court supporting you.

Q. You talked about how growing up, your family didn't have the financial support that a lot of tennis players have. How did those early years go for you? When was the time when the LTA started to come in and give you support? How did you manage traveling to tournaments, coaches? It can be expensive.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, obviously it's super expensive.

When I was growing up, I kind of did quite a lot of tournaments on my own just 'cause couldn't afford to pay a coach week in and week out, which I think was great. It helped me develop as a teenager, grow up super fast, made me much more mature, hold myself accountable to a lot of things.

Yeah, obviously the LTA helped me massively. For me it came at exactly the right time. It was when I started to come on the scene and was putting together a few good wins consistently.

Yeah, they really helped to give me all the equipment and access to everything I needed to develop as well, which is obviously I think what has happened in the last few years. I think I've shot up the rankings. My game style really rocketed.

Yeah, it's a mix of a lot of their support. Yeah, I mean, my coaches back in the day, obviously had them since I was six. They would charge me I guess the lowest fee and would try to help me out as much as possible.

Q. What sort of age was it when the LTA started?

SONAY KARTAL: I think like around 19, 20.

Q. Pretty late really?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah. I was out quite a lot of years injured as a teenager. I didn't pick up for a racquet for a couple years as well. I was kind of a bit inconsistent as I guess I was going through, yeah, teenage years.

Q. You mentioned after your first-round win you might let us know what your next tattoo would be. What are your plans?

SONAY KARTAL: My next tattoo? I did say I would get my 'colour holder' number after I played the Billie Jean King Cup, when I got that live rubber. That's going to be one of them.

Yeah, I mean, I'm open to suggestions. Like if people throw me some good ideas, I will definitely consider them. 90% I would end up going with one of those ideas.

Q. What is the most special one you have?

SONAY KARTAL: What is my most special? Good question.

I have one on the back of my arm which is one of my first dog, a massive golden retriever. I bought some like doggy ink and got his paw print downsized, got it tattooed and put into a little picture on the back of my arm.

Q. Does it fire you up that you haven't had the traditional route of many players; you had to do it the hard way? Does that maybe almost help you because after what you've gone through, you've thought bring it on, I can take on the world?

SONAY KARTAL: No, I wouldn't really say it fires me up. I think when I was younger, I don't think I really deserved to kind of have the funding to be honest with you. I think I was too inconsistent. I don't think my game was there. I was injured a lot of the time. No, I don't think I really deserved it at all.

But it definitely helped me develop as a person I guess not having that access. But no, yeah, I don't think it was a wrong decision to not give me it as I was growing up.

Q. You have spoken about the fact you want to back up last year's run. Your results over the last 12 months has kind of done that anyway. Why is it so special for you to do it here?

SONAY KARTAL: I think having a home slam, I think that's one arena I really want to perform well in front of the people that mean the most to me, friends and family and everyone.

Also, it's a surface that doesn't really come naturally to me. I have to really think and adapt my game style, which I think is also going to help me develop beyond this tournament as well.

I have to be really aggressive. That's something I need to do to get better at in my game outside of Wimbledon. I need to be able to flicker between spinning the ball heavy on the forehand and also flatten it out. For me grass it going to do that. I think if I can be aggressive on grass, I can prove to myself that I can do it and I can do it against the best players.

Q. When you were a kid, you also played football and cricket, is that right?

SONAY KARTAL: Yes.

Q. What were you like at a footballer and cricketer?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I was always a batter. But I think I was only good because I was good at tennis. I would just whack it as far as I could, try to take like a backhand and just launch it out.

But yeah, football I was kind of always up front, always an attacker. Yeah, I loved playing those sports. I'm a sporty kid. I love watching it as well. Yeah, it was a tough decision to pick between all three as a young kid. Yeah, I'm happy that I went this way.

Q. Bat lefty?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I'm lefty. Lefty for the cricket and golf.

Q. You write right-handed?

SONAY KARTAL: I write left-handed. I'm very ambidextrous, yeah. Very...

Q. Your brilliant kits, the retro kits. Tell us a bit more about it and why you like it.

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I saw it a little while ago when they were going to release it. Yeah, as soon as I saw it, I was like, I absolutely want that.

I like, I guess, the baggier clothes. I think the baggy top with the tighter shorts I think is a cool look. I feel good wearing it. I enjoy wearing it. I absolutely love the look. I think they've done an incredible range.

Yeah, I've had a lot of compliments. I'm hoping it looks good and it's not just me that feels that.

Q. You mentioned in your last conference if you got through, you were going to get a tattoo. Have you given any thoughts to what you are going to get?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, I said it before. I'm open to suggestions. If people want to send me their ideas, I will most likely pick one of them and will probably chuck it on somewhere.