During Wimbledon, Kartal made it to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, while Raducanu is showing great form again after recovering from injuries.
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Qualifier Kartal is up against world number 2 Coco Gauff next, while Raducanu will face Maria Sakkari, ranked 9th, and they enter the matches as underdogs.
Their potential upsets would be a result of years of hard work, especially training together as kids.
The Lawn Tennis Association, the governing body of tennis in Britain, shared a video of the two young stars playing at the age of nine, which has captured the attention of viewers.
In the video, the London-based pair can be seen engaging in a remarkable 19-shot rally on a mini tennis court back in 2011, showcasing the skills that would mark them as future stars.
During the intense rally, Raducanu appeared to have Kartal on the defensive, but Kartal made a spectacular forehand shot to end the rally.
One fan who watched the video commented: “Watching this makes me realize I couldn’t beat a nine-year-old in tennis,” while another added: “If you think you’re good at tennis, watch this.”
Kartal, born in 2001, a year before Raducanu, has had to watch her friend bask in the spotlight after Raducanu claimed victory at the US Open in 2021, becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam since 1977.
Now, it’s Kartal’s turn to shine, and she has earned it by defeating world number 45 Clara Burel in a tough three-set match, where she had to recover from losing a 3-0 lead in the second set before winning the decider.
After the match, Kartal said: “Today is a really special day for me. To have people out there who have been with me since I was six. Monday was a high and now I have topped that today.
“I just tried to put everything behind me. When I needed the crowd the most they helped me in that third set. I owe that to you guys today.
“I had a tough start to the year, I didn’t know what I would be doing this year.
“To come back in and go straight into the deep end, and have my biggest wins so far since recovering, I’m super proud of that.”
Meanwhile, Raducanu made more headlines by agreeing to play mixed doubles with British tennis legend Andy Murray.
