Sonay Kartal will be looking for lightning to strike twice at the US Open after marking her Wimbledon breakthrough with a thunderstorm tattoo. The British No.3 was the only home female player to reach the fourth round in SW19. And her Centre Court clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – which was dominated by a line-call controversy – was preceded by a “rumble of thunder” before the start.
And before her first appearance in the main draw at Flushing Meadows, Kartal has inked the moment into her right forearm with a tattoo of a lightning bolt coming out of a cloud. The world No.51, who had asked for Wimbledon tattoo suggestions during her run, explained: “The Centre Court walk-on, as soon as the gates opened I walked onto court like a massive thunder and lightning moment.
“There was a massive thunder rumble. And when I came off court and actually looked through all the messages and people’s ideas, I was like: ‘Yeah, that one is by far the standout for me.’
“I wanted something that If you’re looking at it, you’re not going to know that it’s tennis-ee, but to me and people that were in that moment will know exactly what it is.
“It was a big moment in my career. If you ask any British kid that wants to be a tennis player, that’s their dream, to walk out onto centre court.
And so for me to have that moment happen and to achieve that goal and to do it, and then to have the thunder moment, I can look down on that and it takes me into that moment a little bit. That is maybe 15 or 16 tattoos now.”
Brighton-based Kartal said her best performance in her home Grand Slam had taken her fame to a new level.
“The day after that match on Centre Court, I was in London just doing some scans, making sure everything was OK,” she recalled. “And that was pretty carnage because obviously it was still fresh. I played on that court less than probably 12 hours before.
“So I was very late for that appointment. Everyone was kind of stopping me on the tube and things like that. Apart from that, London, I’m still pretty under the radar a little bit. I think Brighton now, everyone knows who I am.
“There’s not much to come out of Brighton, I would say, sports-wise. So yeah, Brighton I’m a bit more well-known. I don’t hate it at all. I think it’s a good thing. I like it.”
Kartal lost to the Russian after Wimbledon’s new Electronic Line Calling system was accidentally switched off for three points 4-4 in the first set.
Kartal’s backhand was clearly long on game point but there was no call – and German umpire Nico Helmerth ordered the point to be replayed and the Russian’s service was broken.
Players can challenge calls at the US Open and ask for a VAR review. But Kartal, who is 5”4’, laughed: “I tend to not really do that, because I’m not very good at judging when the ball’s in or out. I think because I’m quite small as well, it’s quite hard to see on the baseline. So I think unless there’s maybe a double bounce or anything, maybe that would be the only way.
“Obviously it was a bit of an unfortunate moment for her, but she won the match at the end of the day, so it didn’t make too much difference. It’s still something we’re getting used to. Mistakes happen, right?”
Kartal will face No.18 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the first round on Sunday after beating the Brazilian in their previous meeting at Indian Wells in March.
“We both know how each other plays,” said the British No.3. “Obviously everyone in this draw is super tough, but I guess you get a bit of confidence when you are one up at the minute. I’m excited. I think it’s a good match-up for me on this court.
I’ve just been here a few days now, so I’m excited to get going. I’m liking these courts. I feel pretty good going into that match.”