How to Watch Elina Svitolina v Sonay Kartal at the ASB Classic: Sky Sports, Tennis Channel and World Feed Commentary

The ASB Classic in Auckland is one of the first key WTA 250 events of the season, and the quarter-final between Elina Svitolina and Sonay Kartal is attracting plenty of interest from British, American and Australian fans alike.Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, Tennis Channel in the United States and the official world feed for international broadcasters are all involved in the coverage, giving viewers a range of options depending on where they live and how they prefer to watch.

In New Zealand, the match is carried domestically on Sky Sport 1 NZ / HD, while in the UK it is shown on a cluster of Sky Sports platforms: Sky Sports Main Event, the dedicated Sky Sports Tennis channel and the streaming-focused Sky Sports+ service, all of which are hugely significant for British tennis coverage.[8] In the US, Tennis Channel 2 provides its own broadcast with an American commentary team, complementing a full global world-feed service that is also used by WTA TV, the tour’s own direct-to-consumer platform.[9]

Match details: Svitolina v Kartal in Auckland

The match is a WTA 250 quarter-final at the ASB Classic in Auckland, with play scheduled in the morning UK time as part of the night session in New Zealand.[3][4] The tie pitches Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina, the top seed at this event, against British qualifier Sonay Kartal, who has put together an eye-catching run to reach the last eight.[1][3]

Svitolina and Kartal have met before on tour, with the more experienced Ukrainian holding the edge in their head-to-head thanks to a straight-sets win at the Mutua Madrid Open in 2025.[1][7] That result underlines why Svitolina begins this match as favourite, but Kartal’s rapid progress in the rankings and her form in Auckland make this a compelling clash.[1][6]

Where to watch in the UK, USA, New Zealand and worldwide

United Kingdom and Ireland – Sky Sports

For viewers in the UK and Ireland, coverage comes via Sky Sports, which holds broadcast rights for a significant portfolio of tennis events and has launched a dedicated Sky Sports Tennis channel to reflect the sport’s growing popularity.[8] The Svitolina v Kartal match is carried on multiple outlets:

• Sky Sports Main Event – simulcasts key live sport, including the pick of the tennis schedule.
• Sky Sports Tennis – the dedicated tennis channel, focusing on WTA and other tours.
• Sky Sports+ – a streaming extension that offers additional court feeds and alternate matches beyond the linear schedules.

All three services take the world feed commentary for this match. That means UK-based viewers hear the same international commentary that is supplied to many rights-holders globally, ensuring consistent coverage and analysis.[8][9]

New Zealand – Sky Sport 1 NZ / HD

In the host country, the match is shown live on Sky Sport 1 NZ / HD, the flagship sports channel of Sky New Zealand. The ASB Classic is one of the key events in the New Zealand sporting summer, and Sky’s coverage typically features local presenters and reporters on-site at the Auckland venue, creating a distinctly Kiwi flavour around the world-class tennis action.

United States – Tennis Channel 2

In the United States, fans can tune in via Tennis Channel 2, one of the additional channels in the Tennis Channel ecosystem that allows the network to show multiple live matches from concurrent events. This secondary channel is particularly valuable during busy tournament weeks, ensuring that a match like Svitolina v Kartal receives full, uninterrupted coverage for American audiences.

Global streaming – WTA TV and world feed

For territories without a dedicated broadcast deal, or for fans who prefer a direct streaming option, the match is available via WTA TV, the WTA’s official subscription streaming service that offers live and on-demand coverage of tour-level events.[9] WTA TV uses the world feed, so subscribers see the same pictures and hear the same lead commentary as viewers in countries where broadcasters take the international feed. This consistency makes the world feed a central part of how modern tennis is distributed globally.

The commentary and presentation teams

Sky Sport 1 NZ – Purvis, McTainsh, Lewis and Ritchie

The New Zealand domestic broadcast on Sky Sport 1 NZ / HD features a distinctly local on-air team:

• Presenter: Storm Purvis – A former elite netballer for the New Zealand national team, Purvis transitioned into broadcasting after her playing career, becoming a prominent sports presenter and analyst on Sky in New Zealand. Her background in high-performance sport gives her a strong understanding of athlete preparation and mentality, which carries over effectively to tennis coverage.
• Main commentator: Jeff McTainsh – An experienced New Zealand sports broadcaster, McTainsh has covered a wide range of sports for Sky, including rugby, cricket and tennis. His play-by-play style blends clear description with a local perspective on events in Auckland, helping to bring the atmosphere of the ASB Classic to viewers at home.
• Co-commentator: Jade Lewis – A New Zealander with a tennis background, Lewis offers insight from the viewpoint of someone who has navigated the professional game. Co-commentators such as Lewis often focus on tactical detail, shot selection and the mental side of the contest, complementing the main commentator’s description.
• Reporter: Kimberlee Ritchie (née Downs) – Known to New Zealand audiences under her maiden name, Kimberlee Downs has built a reputation as a versatile sports journalist and reporter. On-site at the ASB Classic, she provides interviews with players, updates from practice courts and human-interest stories that give context to the main broadcast.

World feed – John Horn

The world feed for this match is led by John Horn, a familiar voice to fans who follow international tennis broadcasts. World feed commentators typically specialise in the global tour, working across multiple tournaments and tailoring their commentary to an international audience rather than one domestic market. That means avoiding country-specific assumptions and providing context on rankings, recent results and head-to-head records for viewers who may not follow the WTA week in, week out.

Horn’s role is central to the presentation of this match across multiple territories: the same commentary is heard by viewers on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Tennis, Sky Sports+ and WTA TV, as those outlets are all taking the world feed rather than producing their own bespoke commentary for this particular encounter.[8][9]

Tennis Channel 2 – Leif Shiras

On Tennis Channel 2 in the United States, commentary is provided by Leif Shiras, a long-established voice in American tennis broadcasting. A former professional player who reached the ATP top 50 in singles during the 1980s, Shiras later moved into television, working extensively for Tennis Channel on ATP, WTA and Grand Slam coverage. His commentary style often blends tactical insight with reflections from his own tour experience, offering viewers in-depth analysis of shot patterns, momentum swings and strategic choices.

The players: experience v rising momentum

Elina Svitolina – proven WTA star

Elina Svitolina is one of the most recognisable names on the WTA Tour, a former world No.3 and multiple-time Grand Slam semi-finalist who has been a fixture at the top of the game for much of the past decade.[1] Her baseline consistency, athletic defensive skills and ability to absorb pace have made her a difficult opponent across all surfaces. Svitolina has also been a regular presence on national duty for Ukraine and has lifted numerous WTA titles, including at Premier and WTA 500 level.

In Auckland, Svitolina arrived as one of the top seeds at the ASB Classic and a clear contender for the title.[1][3] Her previous win over Kartal on clay in Madrid gives her a psychological edge, but the switch to outdoor hard courts in New Zealand presents a fresh tactical challenge, with conditions that reward aggressive returning and precise serve placement.

Sonay Kartal – British breakthrough at the ASB Classic

Sonay Kartal has emerged as one of the most intriguing British prospects on the women’s tour, making steady progress up the rankings and gaining valuable main-draw experience at WTA events.[1] According to tournament previews, Kartal’s 2024 season saw her claim a maiden WTA title, followed by a breakthrough run in 2025 that included a second-week appearance at Wimbledon.[1] That combination of grass-court pedigree and hard-court success reflects a well-rounded game.

At the 2026 ASB Classic, Kartal has made the most of her opportunity, coming through earlier rounds with impressive performances and matching her best WTA-level results by reaching the quarter-finals.[1][2] The WTA has highlighted her resilience in Auckland, particularly a comeback against Ella Seidel in which she won 11 of the last 12 games to close out a straight-sets victory.[9] For British fans following on Sky Sports or WTA TV, this quarter-final against Svitolina serves as a useful barometer of where Kartal stands against established top-tier opposition.

The significance of the ASB Classic in the WTA calendar

The ASB Classic is a long-standing event on the WTA calendar and currently holds WTA 250 status, forming part of the early-season hard-court swing that leads into the Australian Open.[3][6] Staged at the ASB Tennis Centre in Auckland, it often attracts a mix of established stars seeking match practice and rising players aiming to start the year strongly. For someone like Svitolina, the event provides valuable match rhythm and ranking points; for Kartal, it is an opportunity to consolidate her position inside the top 100 and push towards seeding at larger tournaments.[1][6]

With defending champion Clara Tauson playing elsewhere and other seeds falling early, this edition of the tournament has opened up, increasing the importance of this quarter-final in the overall draw.[1][3] The winner moves a step closer to one of the first titles of the new season, while also gaining confidence and momentum ahead of the Melbourne swing.

How broadcasters shape the viewing experience

The mix of Sky Sports, Sky Sport NZ, Tennis Channel and the world feed underlines how modern tennis tournaments are distributed across different regions. Major rights-holders like Sky and Tennis Channel can choose between using world feed commentary or creating their own coverage; for this match, the UK outlets opt for the international feed while the US network uses its own analyst in Leif Shiras, and New Zealand’s Sky Sport builds a full on-site presentation with local personalities.

For fans in Britain, the dedicated Sky Sports Tennis channel means that even early-season WTA 250 events receive consistent coverage, as part of a wider tennis portfolio that includes Grand Slams, WTA events and other tours.[8] American viewers benefit from Tennis Channel’s multi-channel infrastructure, ensuring that simultaneous matches are available rather than being squeezed off the schedule. Meanwhile, WTA TV acts as a safety net in markets where tennis does not have a strong linear broadcast presence, relying heavily on the quality and neutrality of commentators like John Horn to serve a global audience.[9]

With Svitolina’s proven pedigree and Kartal’s upward trajectory, plus strong broadcast teams across Sky, Tennis Channel and the world feed, the quarter-final promises to be a compelling watch for tennis fans in the UK, US, Australasia and beyond.

External links: ASB Classic 2026 player list (WTA), Sky Sports tennis coverage of the ASB Classic, WTA feature on Sonay Kartal in Auckland.