British wildcard Sonay Kartal’s dream run at the Queen’s Club came to an abrupt end after a clinical performance by Amanda Anisimova in the last 16. On a historic week for women’s tennis at the iconic venue, Kartal’s early exit was softened by a sense of rising confidence within the British camp—and the enduring promise of what lies ahead.
A quick end to a growing campaign
Sonay Kartal, one of Britain’s brightest tennis prospects, couldn’t replicate her first-round heroics at Queen’s as she was decisively beaten 6-1 6-3 by American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova. The result, delivered in just over an hour, halted Kartal’s progress at a tournament where she had previously recorded the biggest win of her career.
Having stunned world number 16 Daria Kasatkina earlier in the week, the 23-year-old had looked poised to make a serious impact on the home stage. But her second attempt at top-20 scalping proved too much. Kartal struggled to find rhythm against Anisimova’s heavy hitting, finding herself two breaks down within the opening minutes of the match.
In just 26 minutes, the American had wrapped up the first set, leaving the London crowd subdued after a marathon encounter earlier between Emma Navarro and Beatriz Haddad Maia. Though the spectators rallied behind Kartal in the second set—especially after she broke serve in the opening game—their hopes were short-lived. Anisimova broke back immediately, then raised her level with slick forehands and sharp slicing, maintaining control until the final point.
Rising confidence despite the loss
Despite the loss, Kartal’s head remains held high. Her defeat by Anisimova followed a breakout performance at Queen’s and a year of encouraging progress. “I’ve still had a great win, probably one of my best matches,” Kartal said, reflecting on her upset of Kasatkina. “I feel like I’m still playing great on the grass, so I’ll try and take as much confidence as I can into next week.”
The Brighton-born player, who only a year ago was ranked outside the world’s top 250, now finds herself regularly featuring in WTA Tour events. Following promising runs at Wimbledon, Indian Wells, and her maiden Tour title in Monastir, her trajectory has been steadily upward. Queen’s was a continuation of that momentum—even if Anisimova provided a timely reminder of the elite level Kartal still aims to reach.
Kartal will now turn her attention to the lead-up to Wimbledon, with upcoming tournaments in Nottingham and Eastbourne offering further opportunities to test her grass-court game. If her current form holds, she may yet produce something special at SW19.
A team inspired by belief
While Kartal may have exited early, her outlook reflects a broader sense of optimism surrounding British women’s tennis. Speaking on the dynamic among her fellow homegrown players, Kartal noted the encouraging spirit in the camp. “I think it spurs all of us on. We have a really good group at the minute. We’re all playing super well. We all love seeing each other do well,” she said.
That unity has been on display throughout Queen’s—especially significant given that this is the first time in 52 years the historic venue has hosted a women’s tournament. With Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, and Kartal all now inside the WTA top 50, there’s a renewed belief that British women’s tennis is entering a strong new era.
The camaraderie was particularly evident in the doubles competition, where Raducanu and Boulter’s partnership—dubbed “Boultucanu” by fans—captured the imagination of the crowd despite a quarter-final defeat. Their short run may be over, but their energy has been emblematic of the positivity that now surrounds the British game.
‘Boultucanu’ doubles run comes to a close
Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter’s short-lived but popular doubles pairing ended in the last eight with a 6-2 7-5 loss to top seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe. Despite the loss, the British pair received rapturous support from a packed Court One and showed flashes of impressive synergy. The match started poorly for the home duo, with their opponents racing to a 4-1 lead before comfortably taking the first set. The second offered hope: Raducanu and Boulter rallied from 4-1 down to level at 4-4, only to falter at a critical moment, failing to convert four break points in the following game. Ultimately, they could not stave off defeat, despite saving three match points.
“Me and Emma played some very good tennis over these two doubles matches and our level was really high,” said Boulter. “The support from the crowd was immense and we’re really grateful so many people came out to support us.” Raducanu, who had played only one career doubles match before this week, credited her partner with helping her settle. “Katie made me feel really comfortable out there over the two matches and I hope we can team up again soon,” she said. “The atmosphere again was unreal.”
All eyes on singles success
With the doubles now concluded, both Raducanu and Boulter turn their focus back to singles competition, where crucial ranking points—and the unofficial title of British number one—are at stake. Boulter currently holds that distinction, having risen to the top of the British rankings in 2023 while Raducanu was sidelined by injury.
But the gap could narrow this week. Raducanu can overtake Boulter if she matches or exceeds her compatriot’s results at Queen’s. That makes Thursday’s action at the Andy Murray Arena particularly intriguing: Boulter opens play against fifth seed Diana Shnaider, while Raducanu follows her later in the day against Rebecca Sramkova. Sandwiched between their matches is fellow Briton Heather Watson’s clash with 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. With Wimbledon looming on 30 June, the next two weeks could prove pivotal for the pecking order in British tennis—and for building confidence ahead of the biggest event of the year.
