Sonay Kartal stuns Madison Keys to reach Indian Wells fourth round
Britain’s Sonay Kartal overcame a back injury and a one-set deficit to stun former Australian Open champion Madison Keys and reach the fourth round at Indian Wells.
The 24-year-old dropped the opening set before rallying to secure a 2-6 6-2 6-3 victory over the American 15th seed in just under two hours.
She revealed she was still struggling with a physical issue that previously forced a medical timeout during her second-round triumph against Emma Navarro.
“At times in this match I was in discomfort with my back, so it’s a match like today which shows the fighter in me.”
Speaking to BBC Sport, the confident British number two declared that she feels capable of beating anyone on any given day in California.
Historic milestone in California
With this impressive turnaround, the world number 54 becomes the first British woman to reach the fourth round at the prestigious WTA 1000 tournament twice.
Her run to the same stage last year served as a breakthrough moment, propelling the rising star to a career-high ranking of 44 earlier in 2025.
The resilient right-hander must now prioritise her recovery before facing reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in the last 16.
“I didn’t really practise yesterday so I gave it as much recovery as I could, so I think now it’s about getting recovered and doing the same exact thing to get back on the court in the next couple of days.”
Kartal admitted the ongoing back ailment remains a significant hindrance heading into the crucial next phase of the competition.
Defending champion Andreeva exits
Elsewhere in the desert, world number 44 Katerina Siniakova produced another major upset by eliminating defending champion Mirra Andreeva.
The Czech navigated a gruelling two-hour and 48-minute battle to defeat the Russian eighth seed 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.
Third seed Rybakina secured her upcoming spot against Kartal following a hard-fought straight-sets victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
World number two Iga Swiatek also advanced after overcoming Maria Sakkari, while American fifth seed Jessica Pegula fought back to defeat Jelena Ostapenko.
