Sonay Kartal shocks Jelena Ostapenko and sends her packing in Wimbledon round one

Sonay Kartal lit up a sizzling opening day at Wimbledon with a thunderous first-round upset, sending 20th seed and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko crashing out in a gripping three-set clash.

On a blazing afternoon at SW19, the 23-year-old Briton held her nerve and showed off her growing maturity, dispatching the Latvian star 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 in a rollercoaster encounter on Court Three.

"That was by far one of the toughest matches I've played," Kartal admitted afterwards, sweat-drenched but beaming. ""I would say that I struggle against the big hitters. I've made a conscious effort this year to play the bigger matches and put myself under the most pressure out on court.".

She continued by stating: "I knew that I wouldn't get the results straightaway but that it would eventually pay off, and that's what happened today.".

Set 1

Things didn’t start smoothly for Kartal. Down 5-2 and looking outplayed by the heavy-hitting Latvian, it seemed like a straight-sets exit might be on the cards. Yet with the crowd firmly behind her, Kartal sparked into life just in time.

A key turning point came at 4-5 when she saved multiple set points, forcing Ostapenko to overhit under pressure. A mistimed forehand into the net from the 2017 French Open champion allowed Kartal to reel off five consecutive games, sealing the set with a confident fist-pump and a roar of defiance.

Set 2

True to her rollercoaster reputation, Ostapenko came out swinging in the second. Finding her range on the return and cleaning up the unforced errors, she dominated the rallies, pushing Kartal well behind the baseline.

Though Kartal hung in the exchanges, Ostapenko’s power proved too much. With a few signature winners off both flanks, she levelled the match in under 30 minutes, staring down her box as if to say: order restored.

Set 3

With a calm intensity, she returned in the final set, determined not to let momentum slip. An early break deflated Ostapenko, and the Briton smelled blood. A ridiculous forehand around the net post earlier in the match had already shown her confidence, but in this set, she backed it up with relentless returning and smart court coverage.

Meanwhile, Ostapenko’s frustration boiled over. She muttered to herself, scolded her box, and even barked at the crowd for being too noisy, demanding the umpire intervene. Kartal stayed laser-focused, breaking again for a 4-1 lead and serving out the match in style, arms aloft as the crowd rose to its feet.

Kartal’s win marks her third victory over a top-20 player this season and comes exactly a year after she stunned crowds with a wildcard run to Wimbledon’s third round. Ranked 281 in the world then, she’s soared over 200 spots since, and looked every bit the composed contender under the spotlight.