Tennis player Sonay Kartal found herself in a difficult situation at Indian Wells. She had checked out of her accommodation in California, assuming her participation in the tournament was over after being eliminated in the qualifying rounds.
The 23-year-old player believed her time at the BNP Paribas Open was finished after she didn’t initially qualify.
However, due to another player, Sloane Stephens, withdrawing from the competition, Kartal received a lucky entry into the main draw.
This sudden change meant Kartal was left without a place to stay at the last minute.
She explained, “I had booked an apartment only for the qualifying period, so I urgently needed to find new accommodation.”
Kartal added, “I was without a home for about 12 hours. But it was a good problem to have in the end.”
Kartal has had a remarkable run at Indian Wells and is now preparing for a significant match in the round of 16 against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday.
In previous rounds, the British player defeated Varvara Lepchenko in straight sets in the first round and then convincingly won against Beatriz Haddad Maia with a score of 6-2, 6-1 in the second round.
She continued her winning streak on Monday by defeating Polina Kudermetova, securing her place in the fourth round.
After her recent victory, she commented, “It wasn’t as easy as it might have seemed.”
“My strategy was to consistently hold my serve, make my opponent work for every point, and maintain pressure on the scoreboard.”
“I stayed composed and elevated my game when it was most crucial.”
