Sonay Kartal’s thunder tattoo is tied to a moment on Centre Court during her 2025 Wimbledon run. She has other visible arm pieces too, but public photos don’t show enough detail to identify them confidently.
Small tattoos appear on her arms in public photos, but most are too distant to identify confidently. The thunder piece has a direct account and an official reveal behind it.
Sonay Kartal’s thunder tattoo reveal
After losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at Wimbledon, Kartal told the media she would get another tattoo to mark the tournament. The LTA followed her to a local parlour as she chose her latest additions. Its video, titled “Sticking to my word!”, shows her following through. The thunder design recalls the Wimbledon run, while the appointment also marks her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Great Britain.
Why thunder fits a tennis memory
For Kartal, the thunder is tied to a particular moment on Centre Court, during a week when she reached a new stage in her career. The sound gives her a specific way back to that tournament. Other people may see a weather symbol or a sharp graphic; the memory behind it belongs to her.
The Wimbledon run behind the idea
Kartal beat Jelena Ostapenko in the opening round and then Diane Parry to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time. She lost there to Pavlyuchenkova. That run put the tattoo promise in context: this was a milestone week for the British player, not just another stop on tour.
The match photos show the tournament setting, but they are not the source for the tattoo’s meaning. The LTA’s report and reveal are what document the thunder connection.
What the sources actually confirm
The LTA says the latest work was inspired by thunder Kartal heard at Wimbledon and connects the appointment with her Wimbledon run and Billie Jean King Cup debut. The reveal video shows the visit to the parlour. Other coverage describes Kartal as a tattoo fan and notes small pieces on her arms, but it doesn’t identify every design or explain what each one means.
A distant match photo can make a small mark hard to read. Light, angle and a racket crossing the frame all change what the camera captures. Unless Kartal or a reliable source has identified a piece, it’s better to leave it as visible ink.
How the collection fits her routine
Tennis brings the arms into view as a player serves, reaches for a ball or lifts a racket. Sleeves can cover tattoos, while a sleeveless kit reveals them. Kartal’s arm pieces appear in that movement rather than as a posed display, and the public images don’t establish a complete list.
A memory worth keeping
Kartal said she would mark the Wimbledon tournament with another tattoo, then followed through after the run. The thunder is a small detail from that week, but it points back to a clear memory without needing a scoreline or a full Centre Court scene.
If you want to remember a milestone, start with the detail you still recall: a sound, a place or something someone said. A simple mark can hold that memory without explaining the whole event to anyone else.
Take the idea, make it yours
Write down what happened and which part you want the tattoo to bring back. That gives an artist a more useful starting point than a generic search for a symbol. You can borrow the idea of a personal marker without copying Kartal’s thunder design.
Keep the shape simple enough to stay clear at the size you want. Fine lines and tiny details can soften over time; an experienced artist can help with spacing, placement and how the design will look from different angles. If you build a collection gradually, each tattoo can mark something different without matching the others.
The simple takeaway
Kartal’s thunder tattoo recalls a Centre Court moment during her 2025 Wimbledon breakthrough. The LTA’s reveal also connects the appointment to her Billie Jean King Cup debut. Her other visible tattoos remain hard to identify from public photos, so the documented story is the one to stick with.