1 month ago
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Few tennis players understand the fickle finger of fate more than Sonay Kartal.
The year began with the 22-year-old Briton fearing she would not play again this season because of a health scare that left her going "in and out of hospital".
Eight months later, Kartal is now digesting the best season of her career.
A fortnight ago she won her maiden WTA Tour title in Monastir, cracking the world's top 100 for the first time on the back of it.
"Whether I would be fit enough to be on a match court this season was a huge conversation. I had no idea. There was a lot of being in the dark," Kartal told BBC Sport.
This year started positively.
Having not played since October because of injury, Kartal returned at an ITF event in Loughborough - the third tier of tournaments below the WTA Tour and Challenger Tour - and claimed her ninth career title.
Afterwards, she spoke about her hopes of "keeping as fit as possible" and having "a long season" on tour.
Fate took a cruel twist.
Within weeks, the uncertainty around Kartal's health increased, leading to hospital treatment and several scans which prevented her from playing until April.
The new British number four did not wish to divulge the nature of the issue but was happy to discuss how coming through it has provided a new perspective and appreciation in her life.
"I had the worst start to a year which I could have imagined," she said.
"You don't really appreciate the feeling of being healthy until you're in that position of being in control of it.
"100%, it changed my outlook."
Kartal was given the all clear to restart her career in April and, in her second tournament back, added another ITF title to the collection in Nottingham.
The following week she won a tournament in the Spanish city of Monzon, stretching the hot streak to 10 match wins on the bounce.
Then came Wimbledon.
Kartal won three rounds of qualifying to earn a place in the main draw - the first time without a wildcard - and maintained momentum to reach the last 32.
There she faced US Open champion Coco Gauff and, while she lost 6-4 6-0, the experience was valuable and enabled her to flourish.
Back-to-back ITF titles in Roehampton followed, with another trophy coming when she stepped up to the main WTA Tour in Monastir.
Fate has swung back in her favour.
"It's been a whirlwind," Kartal said.
"My first goal was to be on a match court, then when I got there it went to 'let's go for 150'. In one week in Tunisia I surpassed that and got into the top 100.
"Winning this title has not fully sunk in.
"To be able to play again, and be hitting goals which I hadn’t planned because they were unrealistic, means a whole lot more now."
During Kartal's Wimbledon run, footage of her and Emma Raducanu playing against each other as 11-year-olds resurfaced.
The British pair are long-time friends and rivals. But the paths into the professional ranks have been very different.
Raducanu, 21, is already a Grand Slam champion after bursting into the limelight with a meteoric win at the 2021 US Open.
Kartal, who grew up in Brighton and has Turkish heritage through her Istanbul-born father, has needed to bide her time.
Becoming fitter and stronger has played a big part in her rise. Kartal says the gym used to be a "chore". Now, with two sessions a day, it is a "passion".
On court Kartal describes herself as a "disrupter", a player who tries to "wear an opponent down with variety".
Never giving the same ball twice is key, using her slice to disrupt rhythm before unleashing her "money shot" of the forehand.
Kartal is backing herself more than ever and has set new goals for the rest of the season. Paramount is consolidating a place in the top 100 and earning direct entry into the Australian Open draw.
"People say 'you’ve reached the top 100, you can chill out'. No. I want to push on to the next thing and go even higher."
