Kartal Beats Ostapenko to Reach Wuhan Final

Sonay Kartal of Britain beat Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 7⁠–⁠6 (11⁠–⁠9), 7⁠–⁠6 (7⁠–⁠5) in the Wuhan semifinals. Ranked 170th after six months out with a back injury, she is the lowest-ranked WTA 1000 finalist since 2009.

The previous lowest was Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was ranked 153rd when she reached the Cincinnati final in 2019. Kartal plays Maja Chwalinska of Poland for the title in a final set for no earlier than 6:30 PM in Wuhan (6:30 AM ET) on October 18. It is their first meeting.

Kartal recovered from a double break down in the first set and saved two set points in the tiebreak, which she won 11⁠–⁠9. In the second set she came back from another break down, saved two more set points on her own serve late in the set and won the second tiebreak 7⁠–⁠5. She saved six set points in all.

Ostapenko, a former French Open champion ranked 34th, had won their first meeting, at Eastbourne in 2025. Kartal beat her the next week in the first round at Wimbledon, and now leads 2⁠–⁠1. Ostapenko has reached three WTA 1000 finals and lost all three, and has not reached a final this year.

"Today was a dream come true," Kartal said. "I've been shooting to get this far in one of these events for a very long time, and to be able to do it this fast after so long out ... it's special."

Kartal, 24, reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. A back injury then kept her out for six months after Indian Wells in March, and her ranking fell from 54th to 170th. She missed Wimbledon this year. She said she had been ready to return at the end of August but chose not to rush.

"I think the biggest advice I received was don't rush it," she said. "When you're playing an individual sport, you want to get back as quickly as you can for many reasons, financially and, I love playing in these atmospheres ... but I had to trust the people around me."

Since returning she has played for Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup and reached the third round in Beijing. Wuhan is only her second tour-level event since March, and she is 7⁠–⁠1 at tour level since her return.

In Wuhan she beat Anhelina Kalinina, Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini and Elina Svitolina, who is ranked sixth, before Ostapenko. Every player she has beaten this week is ranked in the top 50, and she has dropped one set in five matches. She is 13⁠–⁠0 this year in tour-level main draws when she wins the first set.

The run is projected to lift her into the top 50 when the rankings are next updated and past Katie Boulter as the highest-ranked British woman.

"British No. 1 has always been a dream of mine to achieve," Kartal said. "Very proud to be able to have that number next to my name, and the six months off was the longest time I've had away from tennis, I think, since I started at six."

She is the second British woman since 1990 to reach a final at this level, after Johanna Konta, who reached the finals in Beijing in 2016, Miami in 2017 and Rome in 2019. It is Kartal's second final at tour level. She won the first, in Monastir in 2024.

Chwalinska, 25 and ranked 22nd, beat Iga Swiatek 7⁠–⁠5, 6⁠–⁠1 in the other semifinal. Neither finalist has won a WTA 1000 title.