Sonay Kartal reaches Wuhan Open final, becoming lowest‑ranked WTA 1000 finalist

Kartal, ranked No 170, saved six set points to defeat former French Open champion Ostapenko and will move into the world top 50.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 17 Oct 2026 14:14:27 GMT

Britain’s Sonay Kartal defeated Jelena Ostapenko to reach the Wuhan Open final, becoming the lowest‑ranked player to contest a WTA 1000 final since the format began in 2009.

What happened

In a two‑hour semi‑final on 17 October 2026, Kartal came from behind in both sets, saving a total of six set points. She won the match 7‑6 (9), 7‑6 (5) according to the Guardian and 7‑6 (11‑9), 7‑6 (7‑5) as reported by the Independent.

What the reports add

The Guardian noted that Kartal fought off six set points and that the victory makes her the lowest‑ranked player to reach a WTA 1000 final since the tier was introduced in 2009. The Independent highlighted that this was only Kartal’s second tour‑level tournament since returning from a six‑month back injury and listed her recent wins over Elina Svitolina, Belinda Bencic and Jasmine Paolini.

What was said

"That was probably one of the toughest matches I’ve played in," Kartal told the Guardian. "I knew exactly how she was going to play. At times [Ostapenko] is unplayable, and sometimes you have to ride that wave. Mentally I think this is one of the best performances I’ve had in my career," she said, as quoted by the Guardian.

"Wow! That was probably one of the toughest of matches I've played," Kartal said to the Independent after converting her second match point. "I knew exactly how she was gonna play. At times, she's unplayable, and sometimes you just have to ride that wave. Mentally, I think this is one of the best performances I've had in…"

How it came about

Kartal entered the Wuhan Open ranked world No 170 after missing six months of the season with a back injury. Her run this week has included wins over world No 6 Elina Svitolina, former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and former Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini, as noted by the Independent. The victory over Ostapenko guarantees Kartal a jump into the world top 50 in the next WTA rankings release and will see her become British No 1, overtaking Katie Boulter.

Key facts

Sonay Kartal beat Jelena Ostapenko 7‑6 (9), 7‑6 (5) to reach the Wuhan Open final (theguardian.com)
Kartal was ranked world No 170 at the time of the match (theguardian.com)
The win makes her the lowest‑ranked player to reach a WTA 1000 final since the format began in 2009 (theguardian.com)
Kartal saved six set points during the two‑hour match (independent.co.uk)
She will move into the world top 50 and become British No 1 (theguardian.com)