İpek Soylu (born 15 April 1996) is a Turkish former tennis player.[1]

İpek Soylu
Soylu at the 2016 Wimbledon
Country (sports) Turkey
ResidenceIstanbul, Turkey
Born (1996-04-15) 15 April 1996 (age 28)
Adana, Turkey
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Retired2022
PlaysRight (two-handed backhand)
Prize moneyUS$ 399,180
Singles
Career record245–165
Career titles0 WTA, 12 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 151 (31 October 2016)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQ1 (2016, 2017, 2018)
French Open1R (2016)
WimbledonQ2 (2017)
US Open1R (2017)
Doubles
Career record166–90
Career titles3 WTA, 18 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 63 (17 April 2017)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open1R (2017)
French Open1R (2017)
Wimbledon2R (2017)
Team competitions
Fed Cup13–10

In her career, Soylu won three doubles titles on the WTA Tour, her biggest coming at the 2016 year-end Elite Trophy. She also won 12 singles and 18 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. On 31 October 2016, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 151. On 17 April 2017, she peaked at No. 63 in the WTA doubles rankings.[2]

Her sole major title as a junior came in 2014, when she partnered Jil Teichmann of Switzerland to win the doubles title at the US Open.[3]

Playing for Turkey Fed Cup team, Soylu has accumulated a win–loss record of 13–10. She has been a member of the Enkaspor tennis team.[4]

Soylu who was coached by Erhan Oral announced her retirement from professional tennis September 2022.[5]

Personal life and background

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Soylu was born on 15 April 1996 in Istanbul and began playing tennis at the age of six. Her favorite shot is forehand, while her favourite surface is clay. Her favorite players were Roger Federer and Li Na.[6]

Career

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2016: Elite Trophy doubles title

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In 2016, Soylu won her first three WTA Tour titles, all in the doubles discipline, the biggest coming at the Elite Trophy in Zhuhai where she partnered with Xu Yifan.[7] That year, she also won two other doubles titles, one on home soil at the İstanbul Cup and the other at the Tashkent Open, partnering Andreea Mitu and Raluca Olaru, respectively.

That same year, she also made her Grand Slam main-draw debut, after qualifying for the French Open. She drew wildcard Virginie Razzano in the first round and lost to the French veteran, in three sets.

2017

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Soylu at the 2017 Birmingham Classic

At Wimbledon, Soylu made her first match win at a Grand Slam championship, reaching the second round together with Varatchaya Wongteanchai in which they lost to Chan Hao-ching/Monica Niculescu.[8] In August at the US Open, Soylu lost in the first round to Carla Suárez Navarro.[9]

Significant finals

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WTA Elite Trophy

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Doubles: 1 (title)

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Result Year Location Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 2016 Zhuhai,
China
Hard (i)   Xu Yifan   Yang Zhaoxuan
  You Xiaodi
6–4, 3–6, [10–7]

WTA Tour finals

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Doubles: 3 (3 titles)

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Legend
WTA Elite Trophy (1–0)
Premier M & Premier 5
Premier
International (2–0)
Finals by surface
Hard (2–0)
Clay (1–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1–0 Apr 2016 İstanbul Cup, Turkey International Clay   Andreea Mitu   Xenia Knoll
  Danka Kovinić
w/o
Win 2–0 Sep 2016 Tashkent Open, Uzbekistan International Hard   Raluca Olaru   Demi Schuurs
  Renata Voráčová
7–5, 6–3
Win 3–0 Oct 2016 WTA Elite Trophy, Zhuhai Elite Hard (i)   Xu Yifan   Yang Zhaoxuan
  You Xiaodi
6–4, 3–6, [10–7]

WTA Challenger finals

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Doubles: 1 (runner–up)

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Result W–L Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 May 2016 Bol Open, Croatia Clay   Raluca Olaru   Xenia Knoll
  Petra Martić
3–6, 2–6

ITF Circuit finals

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Legend
$75,000 tournaments
$50/60,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10/15,000 tournaments

Singles: 21 (12 titles, 9 runner–ups)

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Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Dec 2012 ITF İstanbul, Turkey 10,000 Hard (i)   Isabella Shinikova 4–6, 2–6
Win 1–1 May 2013 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 10,000 Hard   Camilla Rosatello 7–5, 6–1
Win 2–1 Aug 2013 ITF İzmir, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Gabriela van de Graaf 7–5, 6–3
Win 3–1 Sep 2013 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 10,000 Hard   Giulia Bruzzone 4–6, 6–0, 6–2
Loss 3–2 Oct 2013 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 10,000 Hard   Anna Morgina 3–6, 6–3, 5–7
Win 4–2 Jan 2014 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 10,000 Hard   Despina Papamichail 6–3, 7–6(0)
Win 5–2 Apr 2014 ITF Antalya, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Deniz Khazaniuk 7–5, 4–6, 6–1
Win 6–2 Jun 2014 ITF Adana, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Başak Eraydın 4–6, 6–1, 6–2
Win 7–2 Jun 2014 ITF İstanbul, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Melis Sezer 6–3, 6–4
Loss 7–3 Aug 2014 ITF İstanbul, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Yang Zhaoxuan 6–7(4), 1–6
Loss 7–4 Aug 2014 ITF Antalya, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Clothilde de Bernardi 4–6, 6–2, 3–6
Loss 7–5 May 2015 ITF Caserta, Italy 25,000 Clay   Daria Kasatkina 6–7(4), 1–6
Win 8–5 Jul 2015 Bursa Cup, Turkey 50,000 Clay   Anastasija Sevastova 7–5, 3–6, 6–1
Loss 8–6 Jun 2016 ITF Padua, Italy 25,000 Clay   Xu Shilin 7–5, 4–6, 3–6
Loss 8–7 Sep 2016 Zhuhai Open, China 50,000 Hard   Olga Govortsova 1–6, 2–6
Loss 8–8 Jul 2017 Bursa Cup, Turkey 60,000 Clay   Sofya Zhuk 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(5)
Win 9–8 Mar 2019 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 15,000 Hard   Nadja Gilchrist 6–3, 6–3
Win 10–8 Apr 2019 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 15,000 Hard   Magali Kempen 7–6(2), 6–4
Win 11–8 May 2019 ITF Nonthaburi, Thailand 25,000 Hard   Yuan Yue 7–6(2), 6–1
Win 12–8 Jun 2019 ITF Figueira da Foz, Portugal 25,000+H Hard   Katherine Sebov 6–7(2), 7–6(5), 6–3
Loss 12–9 Jul 2019 ITS Cup, Czech Republic 25,000 Clay   Jesika Malečková 3–6, 4–6

Doubles: 29 (18 titles, 11 runner–ups)

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Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1–0 May 2012 ITF İstanbul, Turkey 10,000 Clay   Başak Eraydın   Liu Chang
  Zhang Nannan
3–6, 6–2, [10–5]
Win 2–0 Jun 2013 ITF İstanbul, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Melis Sezer   Başak Eraydın
  Jasmina Tinjić
6–4, ret.
Loss 2–1 Aug 2013 ITF İzmir, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Julia Stamatova   Khristina Kazimova
  Christina Shakovets
4–6, 1–6
Win 3–1 Dec 2013 ITF İstanbul, Turkey 10,000 Hard (i)   Elise Mertens   Yuuki Tanaka
  Ekaterina Yashina
6–0, 7–6(3)
Win 4–1 Jan 2014 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 10,000 Hard   Melis Sezer   Despina Papamichail
  Gaia Sanesi
4–6, 6–4, [10–3]
Loss 4–2 Jan 2014 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 10,000 Hard   Melis Sezer   Valentyna Ivakhnenko
  Veronika Kapshay
6–3, 4–6, [5–10]
Loss 4–3 Mar 2014 ITF Antalya, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Barbora Krejčíková   Susanne Celik
  Kotomi Takahata
4–6, 3–6
Loss 4–4 Apr 2014 ITF Antalya, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Melis Sezer   Denisa Allertová
  Chantal Škamlová
2–6, 1–6
Win 5–4 Jun 2014 ITF Adana, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Başak Eraydın   Alona Fomina
  Ekaterina Tsiklauri
6–3, 6–1
Win 6–4 Jun 2014 ITF İstanbul, Turkey 10,000 Hard   Ayla Aksu   Elke Lemmens
  Julia Stamatova
4–6, 6–3, [10–4]
Win 7–4 Oct 2014 ITF İstanbul, Turkey 25,000 Hard (i)   Xenia Knoll   Ayla Aksu
  Müge Töpsel
6–2, 6–4
Loss 7–5 Dec 2014 ITF Istanbul, Turkey 10,000 Hard (i)   Ayla Aksu   Jana Fett
  Adrijana Lekaj
3–6, 4–6
Loss 7–6 Feb 2015 Rancho Santa Fe Open, United States 25,000 Hard   Nina Stojanović   Samantha Crawford
  Asia Muhammad
0–6, 3–6
Win 8–6 May 2015 ITF La Marsa, Tunisia 25,000 Clay   Pemra Özgen   Sofia Shapatava
  Anastasiya Vasylyeva
3–6, 6–3, [10–4]
Loss 8–7 May 2015 ITF Caserta, Italy 25,000 Clay   Alice Matteucci   Ekaterine Gorgodze
  Sofia Shapatava
0–6, 6–7(6)
Win 9–7 Jul 2015 ITF Denain, France 25,000 Clay   Elise Mertens   Xenia Knoll
  Florencia Molinero
7–6(3), 6–3
Loss 9–8 Nov 2015 Dubai Tennis Challenge, UAE 75,000 Hard   Elise Mertens   Çağla Büyükakçay
  Maria Sakkari
6–7(6), 4–6
Win 10–8 Feb 2016 ITF Beinasco, Italy 25,000 Clay (i)   Arantxa Rus   Lina Gjorcheska
  Dea Herdželaš
6–4, 6–2
Loss 10–9 May 2016 Nana Trophy, Tunisia 50,000 Clay   Irina Khromacheva   Arina Rodionova
  Valeriya Strakhova
1–6, 2–6
Win 11–9 Jul 2016 Internazionale di Roma, Italy 50,000 Clay   Xu Shilin   Réka Luca Jani
  Sofia Shapatava
7–5, 6–1
Win 12–9 Apr 2017 Lale Cup, Turkey 60,000 Hard   Veronika Kudermetova   Ksenia Lykina
  Polina Monova
4–6, 7–5, [11–9]
Win 13–9 Aug 2017 ITF Bad Saulgau, Germany 25,000 Clay   Anna Kalinskaya   Nicoleta Dascalu
  Cristina Dinu
6–2, 6–2
Win 14–9 Jun 2018 ITF Padua, Italy 25,000 Clay   Anastasia Zarycká   Dea Herdželaš
  Tereza Mrdeža
6–4, 6–1
Loss 14–10 Aug 2018 ITF Las Palmas, Spain 25,000 Clay   Başak Eraydın   Yana Sizikova
  Ulrikke Eikeri
2–6, 4–6
Win 15–10 Jan 2019 ITF Monastir, Tunisia 15,000 Hard   Zhang Ying   Claudia Hoste Ferrer
  Julia Terziyska
6–3, 6–3
Win 16–10 Mar 2019 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 15,000 Hard   Jacqueline Cabaj Awad   Gozal Ainitdinova
  Ekaterina Kazionova
6–2, 6–4
Win 17–10 May 2019 ITF Nonthaburi, Thailand 25,000 Hard   Aleksandrina Naydenova   Haruka Kaji
  Risa Ozaki
6–1, 6–3
Win 18–10 Jun 2019 ITF Akko, Israel 25,000 Hard   Silvia Njirić   Shelly Bereznyak
  Yekaterina Dmitrichenko
6–2, 6–0
Loss 18–11 Aug 2019 Verbier Open, Switzerland 25,000 Clay   Kathinka von Deichmann   Xenia Knoll
  Simona Waltert
4–6, 3–6

Junior Grand Slam finals

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Girls' doubles: 1 (title)

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Result Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 2014 US Open Hard   Jil Teichmann   Vera Lapko
  Tereza Mihalíková
5–7, 6–2, [10–7]

References

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  1. ^ "WTA Profile".
  2. ^ Career record from İpek Soylu, 17 April 2017
  3. ^ "Turkey's İpek Soylu claims historic title in junior girls' doubles at US Open". Hurriyet Daily News. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  4. ^ "İpek Soylu'dan ITF JR Klasmanı'nda en iyi derece". Enka Spor Kulübü (in Turkish). 20 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  5. ^ "İpek Soylu 26 yaşında tenisi bıraktığını açıkladı". Hürriyet. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Bio".
  7. ^ "Turkish tennis player Ipek Soylu wins doubles finals at WTA Elite Trophy tournament in China". DAILY SABAH. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  8. ^ "İpek Soylu Wimbledon'a veda etti", Skor, 7 July 2017
  9. ^ "İpek Soylu, ABD Açık'tan elendi", Sabah, 29 August 2017
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