Sonay Kartal lands Wimbledon spot but teenager Hannah Klugman misses out

Teenager Hannah Klugman failed to reach the Wimbledon main draw, but Sonay Kartal had a special reason to celebrate her progress after overcoming serious health problems.

Kartal, who was Emma Raducanu's main rival as a junior, has already been hampered by injuries during her career and feared being sidelined for the entire year.

“I had some health problems at the start of this year,” said the 22-year-old, who played only two tournaments between September and April.

“Pretty serious. I won't go into details but I didn't think I'd be on tour this year. I managed to come back after a few months and go straight into the deep end and play big events. J I'm super proud of it.

“It was hard. Sit on the sidelines and watch all your friends play. It was pretty scary at the time, but I'm very grateful to have great people and great doctors around me who tried so hard to get me back on the field.

“We took it slowly, we didn’t want to rush. I was reasonable, I listened to my body and I feel really good.

Kartal struggled in the first two rounds but beat Russian Erika Andreeva – the older sister of teenage sensation Mirra – 6-3 6-1 on Thursday.

The Brighton player has received wild cards for the past two years, but she was happy to earn her place this time and feels in a strong position as she targets a maiden main draw win.

“After playing there the last two years, I really wanted to go back this year,” she said.

“I don’t think I deserve (a wild card) this year. I've been out a lot and there are people who have played very well and who deserve it. I'm grateful to even be on the field right now.

“I think having to earn my place makes things a little better for me. I am also very happy with this match. It was a big occasion and I don't think it really affected me. I'm proud of it.

“I'm going in knowing that I played three big matches this week against three big opponents, so that's definitely going to give me a lot of confidence.

“I've had two losses there in the last two years, so hopefully it'll be third time lucky. I think I'll start this year being able to handle this better.

Klugman, 15, was seeking to become the youngest Wimbledon qualifier since Coco Gauff, but she was subdued in a 6-3 6-3 loss to American Alycia Parks, who rose to 40th place of the ranking after winning a title on grass. in Italy last week.

The teenager was not discouraged: “I'm really proud of myself this week. If you had told me at the start of the week that I would qualify for the final round, I certainly would have accepted. »

“I am obviously disappointed with my day, so close but so far at the same time. She was so good today, she served amazingly. I don't think I've ever played against a player with such powerful shots. She is 40th in the world, so seeing the level was good. »

Klugman will now focus on the junior competition, where she will be one of the favorites as world number six.

There is plenty of excitement about the teenager's potential, and her run this week has brought her to the attention of many more tennis fans, with the Roehampton competition court packed on Thursday.

She said: “I tried not to use my phone. I didn't respond to many messages last night and stayed in my little bubble.

“It’s amazing to have all this support. It is not normal. I tried to take advantage of it today. I've enjoyed this week so much but it's only the beginning.

“I’m hiding a little longer. I certainly do (like attention). I love that people come to watch me and support me. It has a few negatives, but I definitely thrive there.

Kartal's success means Britain will have 19 singles players in Friday's main draws, the most at Wimbledon this century.

Another name who now looks certain to join them is seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, who practiced on Center Court with Jannik Sinner on Thursday.