TENNIS star Sonay Kartal has revealed that she checked out of her apartment in California BEFORE qualifying for Indian Wells, leading to a frantic search for somewhere to stay during the tournament.
The 23-year-old thought her time at the BNP Paribas Open was over when she was knocked out in the final round of qualifying.
However, she earned a spot in the main draw following the withdrawal of Sloane Stephens.
As a result of the last-minute change, Kartal was almost left without a place to stay.
She revealed: “I booked an apartment to see me through qualifying so I had to find somewhere else to stay last minute.
“I was homeless for about 12 hours. But it was a good problem to have.”
Kartal has enjoyed an unforgettable run at Indian Wells and is now set for a huge last-16 clash with World No1 Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday.
The Brit defeated Varvara Lepchenko in straight sets in the first round before beating Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 6-1 in the second.
She then clinched another win over Polina Kudermetova on Monday to progress to the fourth round.
After the match, she said: “It wasn’t as comfortable as it maybe looked.
“My goal was to hold my serve and make her play every ball and keep the scoreboard pressure high.
“I kept my cool and upped my level when it mattered the most.”
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