Sonay Kartal beat world No. 6 Elina Svitolina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 on Friday to reach the 2026 Wuhan Open semifinals. The 24-year-old Brit, currently ranked No. 170 after a six-month layoff due to a back injury, has now beaten a Top 10 opponent for just the second time in her WTA career.
Kartal Makes History with Surprise Win in Wuhan
Only two lower-ranked players have made a WTA 1000 semifinal appearance since 2009, but Kartal dispatched three seeded players to join their ranks. Her first win in Wuhan came against No. 9 Belinda Bencic. Then she made quick work of No. 15 Jasmine Paolini in the round of 16. But Svitolina gave her a tougher test.
Though Kartal broke early in the first set, Svitolina roared back in the second. It took a third frame to decide things with neither player facing a break point until the 10th game. That's where Kartal earned the set's lone chance to close out the match.
The scores cap a dominant WTA stretch for the English rising star. She's now 12-0 in 2026 main draws when she takes the opening set.
"I'm very proud to get through that one," Kartal said. "Despite winning the first set pretty comfortably I know what a great fighter she is and I knew until the last point was played I was never safe."
Next, she faces former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko on Saturday. A semifinal win would put either player in her first WTA 1000 final.
