Sonay Kartal has announced her withdrawal from all 2026 clay-court events.
Kartal, the British number two, is the latest British star to announce her absence from notable clay-court events.
Earlier on Monday, former world number four Jack Draper announced his withdrawal from Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome.
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Kartal, who reached the second round at the 2025 French Open, posted a message on social media explaining her impending absence.
Sonay Kartal announces her withdrawal from all clay-court events
Kartal, ranked 55th on the WTA Tour, posted a message on her Instagram story.
“Hey everyone, quick update from me,” she began.
“Sadly, my back injury hasn’t improved as quickly as I would have hoped, which means no clay season for me this year.
“Thanks for all the messages over the past few weeks, means a lot.
“Can’t wait to play in front of a home crowd soon! See you on the grass.”
Kartal suffered the back injury at Indian Wells during her fourth-round match against Elena Rybakina.
The Briton retired from the contest while trailing 4-6, 3-4, and has not played a competitive match since.
Kartal has already lost WTA ranking points due to her absence from events in Miami and Rouen. She is now set to lose more points in Paris, Rome and Madrid.
Sonay Kartal’s 2026 season so far…
- ASB Classic: lost to Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals
- Australian Open: lost to Anna Kalinskaya in the first round
- Abu Dhabi Open: lost to Sara Bejlek in the quarter-finals
- Qatar Open: lost to Magda Linette in the first round after winning two matches in qualifying
- Dubai Tennis Championships: lost to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second qualifying round
- Indian Wells: retired injured against Elena Rybakina in the fourth round
When could Sonay Kartal return?
If Kartal’s injury has sufficiently recovered by the start of the grass-court swing, she will most likely make her return at the Queen’s Club Championships.
The event, held in north-west London, will run from June 8 to 14.
Last year, Kartal defeated Daria Kasatkina in the first round, before losing to eighth seed and future Wimbledon finalist, Amanda Anisimova.
“You just take it on the chin,” Kartal told the LTA after the 1-6, 3-6 loss. “The good thing about the grass is we are couple days, and we’re back at it again.
“Obviously it’s disappointing today, but tomorrow, we get back to training and get ready for the next one – it’s lucky we can always have a tournament that is so soon.”
