Sonay Kartal started the season on a high, breaking into the top 50 and notching wins over big names like Madison Keys and Emma Navarro. But then she hit a snag with a back injury that forced her to retire from a match. The injury turned out to be worse than expected—so bad she couldn’t even brush her teeth without agony. Skipping Wimbledon was a hard call, especially after her strong run last year, but pacing her recovery paid off. She made her return at the BJK Cup, where she played well despite a close loss, and then won two matches in Beijing. Kartal said, ‘At the BJK Cup, I was happier than I thought I’d be, and now I’m feeling stronger with every match.’
