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Sonay Kartal Battles Back to Shock Madison Keys at Indian Wells

Posted : 10 March 2026

Britain’s Sonay Kartal displayed remarkable resilience as she came from behind to defeat former Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the third round at Indian Wells.

Keys, who claimed her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne in 2025, dominated the opening set 6-2, but Kartal fought back to take the next two sets 6-2, 6-3 in just under two hours.

Despite struggling with a lingering back injury that had forced her to take a medical timeout in her previous match against Emma Navarro, Kartal showcased her determination and competitive spirit.

Kartal, now ranked 54th in the world, credited her victory to her fighting mentality and confidence on hard courts. “At times in this match I was in discomfort with my back, so it’s a match like today which shows the fighter in me,” she said after the win.

With this result, she becomes the first British woman to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells twice, having also achieved the milestone during her debut at a WTA 1,000 event last year, a performance that helped her break into the top 50 and reach a career-high ranking of 44 in 2025.

Looking ahead, Kartal plans to prioritise recovery for her back before her last-16 clash against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion.

“It [the back] was a pretty big hindrance. I didn’t really practise yesterday, so I gave it as much recovery as I could. Now it’s about getting recovered and doing the same exact thing to get back on the court in the next couple of days,” she explained.

The tournament also saw other surprises, including Czech Katerina Siniakova knocking out defending champion Mirra Andreeva, while Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and Jessica Pegula secured their spots in the fourth round after hard-fought victories.

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