Sonay Kartal scored the biggest WTA upset of the 2026 Wuhan Open on Tuesday, taking down ninth seed Belinda Bencic 6-0, 7-5 to reach the third round.
Kartal Comes Back from Injury to Stun Bencic in Wuhan
The 24-year-old British player set the pace early, going 12-for-12 on first-serve points before wrapping up the opener in 27 minutes. After missing six months with a back stress fracture, that first set signaled a commanding return against a former Olympic gold medalist and 2025 Wimbledon semifinalist.
Bencic, ranked No. 12, rallied in the second set and built a 3-1 lead. Despite the shift in momentum, Kartal regrouped, earning the decisive break at five-all before holding serve to seal it.
"I did a lot of things right today, but I still think there's a long way to go," Kartal said."I'm happy to be back, I'm feeling good."
The victory marks Kartal's sixth career win against a Top 20 player — her highest-profile WTA result since toppling Mirra Andreeva in Beijing last year. Sitting at No. 170 after her layoff, she is projected to climb roughly 40 spots.
Up next, Kartal faces 15th seed Jasmine Paolini in the round of 16. The meeting marks their first head-to-head on the WTA tour.
