Wimbledon star Sonay Kartal invites tattoo ideas from British public – ‘I’ll chuck it on somewhere’

Sonay Kartal beat Viktoria Tomova in straight sets wearing her customary buttoned up, baggy T-shirt to book her place in the third round at Wimbledon

British wildcard Sonay Kartal has invited the public to send her tattoo ideas, vowing she would ‘chuck one of them on somewhere’ after she eased into the third round at Wimbledon.

Sonay, 23, blasted past Bulgaria’s Viktoria Tomova in straight sets wearing her customary buttoned up, baggy T-shirt reminiscent of 1990s players. She currently has 14 tattoos and promised after her first round victory to give more information on her next inking if she progressed further.

Sonay, originally from Sidcup in south London but brought up in Brighton, said: “I’m open to suggestions. Like if people throw me some good ideas, I will definitely consider them – 90% I would end up going with one of those ideas.

“If people want to send me their ideas, I will most likely pick one of them and will probably chuck it on somewhere.”

Sonay, whose dad is Turkish and used to run restaurants in Brighton, has tattoos that include an eagle, a snake, the year 2022 to signify when she first played in four Grand Slams.

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She has several on her knuckles which have no meaning, plus a bee she got during the French Open and two quotes, one saying ‘time is everything we have and don’t’, and another that says ‘the show must go on’.

Asked her favourite, she said: “I have one on the back of my arm which is one of my first dog, a massive golden retriever. I bought some doggy ink and got his paw print downsized, got it tattooed and put it into a little picture on the back of my arm.”

She also said another tattoo she will definitely get next is one of her ‘colour holder’ number from the Billie Jean King Cup, number 329, after making her debut for Great Britain. Sonay, who couldn’t afford to regularly pay coaches as she trained as a child, is one of a number of players donning clothes with the famous trefoil Adidas logo.

This Championships is the first time the logo has appeared for 30 years after the sports firm launched its London Originals Collection.

Sonay said: “I saw it a little while ago when they were going to release it. Yeah, as soon as I saw it, I was like, I absolutely want that. I like, I guess, the baggier clothes.

“I think the baggy top with the tighter shorts I think is a cool look. I feel good wearing it. I enjoy wearing it. I absolutely love the look. I think they’ve done an incredible range.

“I’ve had a lot of compliments. I’m hoping it looks good and it’s not just me that feels that,” she joked.