Sonay Kartal wins first WTA match after six-month injury absence

Sonay Kartal beat Spain’s Andrea Lazaro Garcia 6-2, 6-3 at the China Open in Beijing on 1 October, claiming her first WTA Tour win after almost six months out with a back injury. The victory gives the 24-year-old a winning start to her return to tour competition following a difficult first match back for Great Britain last month.

Kartal broke the qualifier’s serve five times, according to BBC Sport. Lazaro Garcia made four double faults, while Kartal landed 69% of her first serves. The straight-sets result put Kartal, ranked world No. 129 in the BBC’s report, into a match against China’s 31st seed Wang Xinyu.

How Kartal’s return began in Beijing

The Beijing match was Kartal’s first WTA Tour outing since the injury, but it was not her first competitive match back. She returned for Great Britain against Czechia in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals on 22 September, facing world No. 26 Marie Bouzkova in Shenzhen. Kartal lost after more than three hours, according to the Lawn Tennis Association, despite holding a break lead in the deciding set.

Great Britain lost the quarter-final tie 2-0. Kartal’s appearance nevertheless marked the end of an absence that began during the fourth round at Indian Wells in March. Her win over Lazaro Garcia is the first victory of this comeback; neither result establishes how she will fare through the rest of the season.

The back injury that interrupted Kartal’s season

She told the LTA that recovery had initially moved slowly. ‘The first three months were slow, with not many changes,’ she said, before describing faster progress and a smoother final few months. Kartal also said the injury had made basic tasks painful, including brushing her teeth without standing up. Her account gives a measure of the interruption behind Thursday’s routine-looking scoreline.

Before the setback, Kartal had reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and her first WTA 1000 quarter-final in Beijing, the LTA reported. She opened 2026 with quarter-final runs in Auckland and Abu Dhabi, then beat Madison Keys and Emma Navarro at Indian Wells before the match against Rybakina. The injury stopped that run and kept her away from competition for about six months.

Why Kartal chose the Billie Jean King Cup for her comeback

Kartal said Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong left the decision to return at the Billie Jean King Cup to her. Keothavong wanted her in the team if she felt fit and healthy, Kartal told the LTA. The team event offered the setting she wanted for her first week back after months away from matches.

Ahead of that return, Kartal told the LTA: ‘I’m feeling good. Mentally, physically, I’m in a very good place. I’m ready to get going now; it’s been a while.’ The narrow loss to Bouzkova preceded Thursday’s more decisive result in Beijing. The two matches place the China Open win in context: Kartal had already tested herself in a long contest against a highly ranked opponent before returning to the WTA Tour.

Wang Xinyu awaits in the next round

Kartal’s next scheduled opponent is Wang Xinyu, the Chinese 31st seed, according to the BBC. Before returning, Kartal said she intended to play the Asian swing and might consider tournaments in December. She hoped to finish the year closer to the level she had reached before the injury, but her December schedule and results beyond this Beijing win remain unconfirmed.