According to tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Rafael Nadal’s “intensity” served as an inspiration for Sonay Kartal during her incredible run at Wimbledon 2024.
After witnessing Britain’s Kartal play against American second-seed Coco Gauff, Mouratoglou, a renowned women’s tennis guru who coached the illustrious Serena Williams for ten years from 2012 to 2022, had a strong admiration for the British player.
This year at Wimbledon, Kartal, rated world No. 298 in the rankings, upset Clara Burel to become the first British female qualifier to get to the third round since 1997. However, prior to that, Kartal had an impressive first set loss against a player 296 spots higher in the rankings.
The 22-year-old was largely unknown coming into the Championships this year, but that all changed after three outstanding qualifying victories, when she unexpectedly defeated Sorana Cirstea, the 29th seed, and then eliminated world No. 45 Burel.
Kartal attributes her quick ascent in tennis to a dramatic transformation in her physical makeup, while Mouratoglou thinks the British woman was motivated to step up her training and set herself on an upward trajectory by the “intensity” of male role model Rafael Nadal.
Quizzed about Kartal’s 6-4 6-0 defeat to US Open champion Gauff, Mouratoglou told Metro ‘I didn’t see the second set. It’s probably better I didn’t see it… I am talking about the score! But I saw the first set.
‘She broke back, which was a huge effort. When you’re a break down against someone like Coco in a match like that, which she hasn’t played very often, I think she handled it really well emotionally.
‘That’s the most difficult thing when you get to this court, at Wimbledon, for the first time in your life and you are British. If you’re British there is even more pressure.
‘You’re probably scared to get killed on the court when you play someone like Coco. I think she did really well.
‘She has a good game. A very, very good game. Lots of energy, lots of intensity. I think she has a bright future.
‘When players are very intense like she is (working hard in the gym), it is a way to build your body. You build the body with what you do every day. Some players practice with more or less intensity.
‘When you’re able to give the level of intensity like Rafael Nadal does, for example, you build your body that way. That’s probably why she is going to the gym and putting in the intensity that she is every day.’
After their Wimbledon match, Gauff praised Kartal, saying, “She played a high level, especially in the first set.” She has had a terrific time at the competition, especially at home, and I hope she returns for more in the future. I have very little to work with from her. She didn’t let me settle and mixed up her variety.