British tennis player Sonay Kartal delivered a brutally honest assessment of her performance after crashing out in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday 20 January 2026.
A Disappointing Defeat in Melbourne
The British number two, currently ranked 66th in the world, suffered a straight-sets defeat to the 31st seed, Russia's Anna Kalinskaya. The final scoreline read 7-6 (3) 6-1 in favour of Kalinskaya. While losing to a higher-ranked opponent carried no disgrace, Kartal was left deeply frustrated by the manner of her loss.
Kartal arrived in Melbourne with some confidence, having pushed former world number three Elina Svitolina extremely close in a narrow defeat in Auckland just prior to the Grand Slam. That performance appeared to continue the positive momentum she had built at the tail end of the previous season.
Match Analysis: A Promising Start Fades
Initially, the match seemed to be going the Briton's way. Kartal managed to gain the upper hand in the early exchanges. However, her strategy ultimately proved flawed, as she relied too heavily on forcing errors from her opponent rather than seizing the initiative herself.
The crucial turning point came in the first-set tie-break, where Kartal's level notably dropped. She played what she later described as a "poor tie-break", allowing Kalinskaya to take the set. From there, the match slipped rapidly away. The Russian player raced to a commanding 5-0 lead in the second set, extinguishing any realistic hope of a Kartal comeback.
Kartal's Frank Post-Match Reaction
Speaking after the match, a candid Kartal did not hold back in her self-criticism. "Obviously very disappointed," she stated, acknowledging she is still searching for her first main-draw victory at the Australian Open.
"For me, it was not my finest at all, even my base level was not really there today, which is something I rely on," Kartal explained. "I think, if I could go back out there now and play that match again, I’d play it a completely different way."
She gave credit to her opponent but focused on her own dip in performance: "Maybe she did raise her level but my level dipped to a level that hasn’t been that low for years, probably." This stark admission highlighted the gulf between her expectations and her display on the day.
Reflecting on her preparation, Kartal added: "I ended last year feeling good and feel like I was training well. The warm-up this morning, I was playing well. I’m super disappointed, especially after Auckland." However, she struck a note of perspective for the long season ahead, concluding: "It’s a long old season ahead so I’m not going to look too deep into this."
