18 hours Ago By Yasmin Syed
Emma Raducanu ’s position as the British No. 2 is under threat. The 22-year-old is set to take a hit in the rankings after losing her opening match in Indian Wells.
And one of her old rivals, Sonay Kartal, is now hot on Raducanu’s heels after going on an incredible run in the Californian desert. Kartal, currently the British No. 3, got into Indian Wells as a lucky loser despite losing in the final round of qualifying.
She’s now into the last 16 after beating Polina Kudermetova on Monday and sits just 14 points behind Raducanu in the live rankings. Raducanu put herself ahead of the pack when she won the US Open as a teenage qualifier in 2021. She became the first British woman to lift a Major title since 1977 and shot up the rankings, becoming the country’s top female player.
But Raducanu lost her status as British No. 1 in 2023, shortly after shutting down her season to undergo three surgeries. Now, thanks to Kartal, her position as the second-ranked Brit is under threat.
The current world No. 83 was one of Raducanu’s childhood rivals - the pair faced off in junior national tournaments. And she’s closing in on the former US Open winner in the rankings after earning another win in Indian Wells.
Kartal made it into the draw as a lucky loser and has made the most of her position. She earned the biggest win of her career over world No. 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round and followed it up on Monday, beating Polina Kudermetova 7-5 6-3.
The 23-year-old is now provisionally up to No. 63 in the rankings, while Raducanu is expected to fall to around No. 60.
By reaching the fourth round, Kartal’s total ranking points tally sits at 993, compared to Raducanu’s 1007. Their rankings could still change depending on other players’ results but the points tallies are certain. If Kartal progresses to the quarter-final, she will have 1088 ranking points, allowing her to overtake Raducanu officially.
But it will be a big ask for the lucky loser to win her round-of-16 match as she takes on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Even if Kartal’s heroic run ends in the next round, there will be plenty of opportunity to close the ranking points gap.
Raducanu will have a chance to gain points at the Miami Open next week but she is defending 108 points in Stuttgart in early April after reaching the quarter-final there last year. Meanwhile, Kartal has zero points to defend until April after taking some time away from the sport early last year for a health condition. Entering a lower-level tournament and winning a few rounds could even be enough to make up the difference and surpass Raducanu to become Britain’s second-ranked woman.
For now, Kartal will be laser-focused on the task at hand - facing Sabalenka in the round of 16..
