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Sonay Kartal stuns Paolini to reach Wuhan Open final

By Drooid · Oct 17, 2026, 10:54 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Sonay Kartal Reaches Final

Sonay Kartal reached the Wuhan Open final, becoming the lowest-ranked player ever at a WTA 1000 event.
Ranked No. 170, she defeated 15th seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-0 on 15 Oct 2026.
She upset world No. 6 Elina Svitolina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to reach the semifinals.
She becomes Britain’s No. 1 woman, enters the top 50 and will face Maja Chwalinska Sunday 11:30 am on Sky Sports Tennis.

Summary

Zheng Qinwen Withdraws

Zheng Qinwen’s shoulder injury forced her out of China and Wuhan Open, leaving Osaka draw without any top-30 player.
Kartal’s six-month layoff was caused by a stress fracture in her lower back.
She returned at the China Open, winning two matches before heading to Wuhan.
After Wuhan, Kartal will travel to Osaka with less than 48 hours rest.

History

Historical Context

In September 2021, 18-year-old Emma Raducanu entered the US Open as world No. 150, won three qualifying matches and then captured the title without dropping a set. She became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam in the Open Era and the first British woman to claim a singles major since Virginia Wade’s 1977 Wimbledon triumph. Her victory sparked renewed interest in British tennis development.

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Sonay Kartal Reaches Final

Sonay Kartal reached the Wuhan Open final, becoming the lowest-ranked player ever at a WTA 1000 event.
Ranked No. 170, she defeated 15th seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-0 on 15 Oct 2026.
She upset world No. 6 Elina Svitolina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to reach the semifinals.
She becomes Britain’s No. 1 woman, enters the top 50 and will face Maja Chwalinska Sunday 11:30 am on Sky Sports Tennis.

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