BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

September 22, 2026

Anne Keothavong

Katie Boulter

Sonay Kartal

Team Great Britain

Press Conference

L. NOSKOVA/K. Boulter

6-2, 7-6

Team Czechia - 2

Team Great Britain - 0

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference for Team Great Britain.

Anne, just your reflections on those two matches, please.

CAPTAIN KEOTHAVONG: Yeah, it was always going to be a tough challenge against the Czechs. Gee, look, Sonay, that was her first match in six months. The level was pretty high out there against Bouzkova. Bouzkova didn't give too much away.

There was some fantastic tennis from Sonay. But that's sport. That's tennis. She gave everything. She left it all out there. I have no regrets about my decision. I hope she's proud. I know she's proud of the performance. Obviously we would have loved a win, but we've got to maintain perspective.

For Katie, look, she played with a lot of heart. It was a difficult start. Again, that's sport. You have to deal with it, find a way. She did. She got herself into the match. The level was high. You're taking on a Wimbledon champion.

For both these players, it required their absolute best and a bit of luck for the result to go our way. I can't fault their efforts. I think the Czechs are the strongest team here. I'd be surprised if they don't go on to win this competition.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Sonay, what does it mean for you having this kind of trust from your captain being back to playing today, having this kind of performance? Did you expect it?

SONAY KARTAL: Yeah, for our captain to trust me to bring the level that I tried to find today, I think I wasn't too far off, it means a lot. I think personally I take a lot of confidence from it, that she backs me against the top players. I think she's top 30.

These events are my favorite, but they also sting the most. Yeah, regardless of how long I've spent off the court, I can look back at that performance and be happy. I know I had my chances, but I'm leaving here and leaving the court knowing that I put everything I had on the match court.

Yeah, I think it gives myself a lot of confidence going forwards for the rest of the Asian Swing, knowing the first match back, that was the level I produced. I was pretty happy with it.

Q. Katie, I think Linda was up quite quickly, but thereafter it was quite close. Talk through what the difference was early on, then the second set obviously being much closer, how you managed to stay more competitive.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, for me, I felt like I probably put a little bit too much pressure on myself in the first set to play well. I think I know what it takes to beat someone like that: it takes my best level, plus much more.

I think sometimes I can get wrapped up in not playing the ball. I felt like I did that for a couple of games. Also I think when you're playing a player like that, I don't feel like you really get many chances.

I think at the start of a match when it's very level, I think sometimes you find that those players can get a little bit nervous and you have a good shot to kind of get off to a good lead. I think I put that into my head a little bit too much.

I think I started to find it, I started to build my way into it. I felt like I did a great job at putting that behind me and trying to move forward and focused a lot more on my own service games, trying to give myself chances on her service games.

I mean, she's serving 170 second serves. It's pretty tough to get into games like that. I feel like I'm taking risks the whole time. That's what it takes against someone who has won a slam this year and is top 10. If I want to play that level, I have to take risks, go for it, not be scared.

I think that was the difference between the first two sets. I think I played passively in the first set and I went for it more in the second when I became more comfortable.

Q. You mentioned yesterday how much you enjoyed the coffee in Shenzhen. That video received a lot of attention online. Today Manner Coffee got in touch with me.

KATIE BOULTER: This is the best news ever (smiling).

Q. They are very happy to provide you coffee during your stay in Shenzhen.

CAPTAIN KEOTHAVONG: That's very sweet. Thank you.

KATIE BOULTER: Thank you.

Q. Please stay one or two more days here in Shenzhen.

KATIE BOULTER: Maybe tomorrow that will pick us up. That's exactly what we needed to hear.

Q. If you could make one more wish to Shenzhen, what would you like to make wish to Shenzhen?

SONAY KARTAL: I think you asked the question in the last one, have we got to see the sights. We've had pretty long nights, so we really haven't been out in the evening. Jet lag in the morning, we're trying to sleep in.

Tomorrow we're going to try to get a bit of a late flight and I hope I can explore a little bit. It will be the first time I actually got out. Yeah, I will look for the sights. I'll post them on something, see if I can find some good spots.

CAPTAIN KEOTHAVONG: One wish? Is this competition coming back here next year? I won't go there (smiling).

One wish? That my team are still smiling tomorrow.

KATIE BOULTER: I was actually going to say the same. I wish that Sonay Kartal wakes up with an okay body tomorrow. No problems. That's what I wish, yeah.

Q. Any more wish to Shenzhen?

KATIE BOULTER: What have we got for Shenzhen?

CAPTAIN KEOTHAVONG: What can we do? It's been a long day. Trying to come up with something exciting.

Look, Shenzhen is a very beautiful city. We will make our best efforts, because I don't think anyone has any flights sorted. I'm sure there will be a bit of time tomorrow. Hopefully we can cheer ourselves up and, I don't know, figure out which our favorite skyscraper is.

What kind of food should we try?

Q. You can try food from all over the world.

CAPTAIN KEOTHAVONG: What's the specialty in Shenzhen?

Q. The Cantonese breakfast tea. You can get all different kinds of dessert.

SONAY KARTAL: That's up my street.

KATIE BOULTER: That will cheer me up.

Q. And the Cantonese culture. You only experience in the Cantonese area.

CAPTAIN KEOTHAVONG: What am I asking for? Cantonese culture?

Q. Shrimp dumpling.

CAPTAIN KEOTHAVONG: For breakfast?

Q. Yes.

KATIE BOULTER: I might have that for lunch, if that's okay.

Q. Only breakfast.

KATIE BOULTER: Breakfast tomorrow with Manner Coffee.