Sonay Kartal Withdraws From BJK Cup Qualifier Against Australia Due To Injury
- Sonay Kartal has withdrawn from Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Australia, which is scheduled to take place on April 10-11 in Melbourne.
- The withdrawal of the British number two means the team will be without its four highest-ranked players for the tie.
- As a result of these absences, world number 181 Harriet Dart is now the highest-ranked singles player available for the Great Britain squad.
Sonay Kartal has withdrawn from Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Australia, which is scheduled to take place on April 10-11 in Melbourne. According to BBC Sport, the world number 55 is unable to participate due to an injury.
The withdrawal of the British number two means the team will be without its four highest-ranked players for the tie. Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, and Francesca Jones were not included in the initial squad, as they are focusing on their clay-court seasons.
As a result of these absences, world number 181 Harriet Dart is now the highest-ranked singles player available for the Great Britain squad.
Injury Details and Recovery
Kartal, 24, reported that she has not yet recovered from a lower back issue. This injury previously forced her retirement from a fourth-round match at Indian Wells in March 2026, where she was playing against world number three Elena Rybakina.
Sonay Kartal
After having some scans I’m going to need a little more time to let it heal,Sadly it means I won’t be joining the girls in Australia but wishing them the best of luck for the tie.
Kartal expressed that she was Gutted to be sidelined
but stated that she is looking forward to returning to competition during the clay-court season.
Squad Composition and Selection Challenges
Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong faced difficulties in persuading the top-ranked British players to travel to Australia for the hard-court qualifier. The tie coincides with the beginning of the European clay-court season, which influenced the availability of the squad’s top players.
Alongside Harriet Dart, Keothavong has selected the following players for the contest:
- Katie Swan
- Jodie Burrage
- Mika Stojsavljevic, who is 17 years old
Australian Opposition
The Great Britain team faces a strong Australian side in Melbourne. Australia has selected three players who are currently ranked inside the world’s top 80: Maya Joint, Talia Gibson, and Kimberly Birrell.