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

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.

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.

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.

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

Personal life and background

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.

Career

2016: Elite Trophy doubles title

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. 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

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. In August at the US Open, Soylu lost in the first round to Carla Suárez Navarro.

Significant finals

WTA Elite Trophy

Doubles: 1 (title)

ResultYearLocationSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win2016Zhuhai, ChinaHard (i)China Xu YifanChina Yang Zhaoxuan China You Xiaodi6–4, 3–6, [10–7]

WTA Tour finals

Doubles: 3 (3 titles)

Legend
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)
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)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1–0Apr 2016İstanbul Cup, TurkeyInternationalClayRomania Andreea MituSwitzerland Xenia Knoll Montenegro Danka Kovinićw/o
Win2–0Sep 2016Tashkent Open, UzbekistanInternationalHardRomania Raluca OlaruNetherlands Demi Schuurs Czech Republic Renata Voráčová7–5, 6–3
Win3–0Oct 2016WTA Elite Trophy, ZhuhaiEliteHard (i)China Xu YifanChina Yang Zhaoxuan China You Xiaodi6–4, 3–6, [10–7]

WTA Challenger finals

Doubles: 1 (runner–up)

ResultW–LDateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–1May 2016Bol Open, CroatiaClayRomania Raluca OlaruSwitzerland Xenia Knoll Croatia Petra Martić3–6, 2–6

ITF Circuit finals

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

Singles: 21 (12 titles, 9 runner–ups)

ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–1Dec 2012ITF İstanbul, Turkey10,000Hard (i)Bulgaria Isabella Shinikova4–6, 2–6
Win1–1May 2013ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt10,000HardItaly Camilla Rosatello7–5, 6–1
Win2–1Aug 2013ITF İzmir, Turkey10,000HardNetherlands Gabriela van de Graaf7–5, 6–3
Win3–1Sep 2013ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt10,000HardItaly Giulia Bruzzone4–6, 6–0, 6–2
Loss3–2Oct 2013ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt10,000HardRussia Anna Morgina3–6, 6–3, 5–7
Win4–2Jan 2014ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt10,000HardGreece Despina Papamichail6–3, 7–6(0)
Win5–2Apr 2014ITF Antalya, Turkey10,000HardIsrael Deniz Khazaniuk7–5, 4–6, 6–1
Win6–2Jun 2014ITF Adana, Turkey10,000HardTurkey Başak Eraydın4–6, 6–1, 6–2
Win7–2Jun 2014ITF İstanbul, Turkey10,000HardTurkey Melis Sezer6–3, 6–4
Loss7–3Aug 2014ITF İstanbul, Turkey10,000HardChina Yang Zhaoxuan6–7(4), 1–6
Loss7–4Aug 2014ITF Antalya, Turkey10,000HardFrance Clothilde de Bernardi4–6, 6–2, 3–6
Loss7–5May 2015ITF Caserta, Italy25,000ClayRussia Daria Kasatkina6–7(4), 1–6
Win8–5Jul 2015Bursa Cup, Turkey50,000ClayLatvia Anastasija Sevastova7–5, 3–6, 6–1
Loss8–6Jun 2016ITF Padua, Italy25,000ClayChina Xu Shilin7–5, 4–6, 3–6
Loss8–7Sep 2016Zhuhai Open, China50,000HardBelarus Olga Govortsova1–6, 2–6
Loss8–8Jul 2017Bursa Cup, Turkey60,000ClayRussia Sofya Zhuk6–4, 3–6, 6–7(5)
Win9–8Mar 2019ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt15,000HardUnited States Nadja Gilchrist6–3, 6–3
Win10–8Apr 2019ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt15,000HardBelgium Magali Kempen7–6(2), 6–4
Win11–8May 2019ITF Nonthaburi, Thailand25,000HardChina Yuan Yue7–6(2), 6–1
Win12–8Jun 2019ITF Figueira da Foz, Portugal25,000+HHardCanada Katherine Sebov6–7(2), 7–6(5), 6–3
Loss12–9Jul 2019ITS Cup, Czech Republic25,000ClayCzech Republic Jesika Malečková3–6, 4–6

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

ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1–0May 2012ITF İstanbul, Turkey10,000ClayTurkey Başak EraydınChina Liu Chang China Zhang Nannan3–6, 6–2, [10–5]
Win2–0Jun 2013ITF İstanbul, Turkey10,000HardTurkey Melis SezerTurkey Başak Eraydın Bosnia and Herzegovina Jasmina Tinjić6–4, ret.
Loss2–1Aug 2013ITF İzmir, Turkey10,000HardBulgaria Julia StamatovaUkraine Khristina Kazimova Germany Christina Shakovets4–6, 1–6
Win3–1Dec 2013ITF İstanbul, Turkey10,000Hard (i)Belgium Elise MertensJapan Yuuki Tanaka Russia Ekaterina Yashina6–0, 7–6(3)
Win4–1Jan 2014ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt10,000HardTurkey Melis SezerGreece Despina Papamichail Italy Gaia Sanesi4–6, 6–4, [10–3]
Loss4–2Jan 2014ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt10,000HardTurkey Melis SezerUkraine Valentyna Ivakhnenko Ukraine Veronika Kapshay6–3, 4–6, [5–10]
Loss4–3Mar 2014ITF Antalya, Turkey10,000HardCzech Republic Barbora KrejčíkováSweden Susanne Celik Japan Kotomi Takahata4–6, 3–6
Loss4–4Apr 2014ITF Antalya, Turkey10,000HardTurkey Melis SezerCzech Republic Denisa Allertová Slovakia Chantal Škamlová2–6, 1–6
Win5–4Jun 2014ITF Adana, Turkey10,000HardTurkey Başak EraydınUkraine Alona Fomina Russia Ekaterina Tsiklauri6–3, 6–1
Win6–4Jun 2014ITF İstanbul, Turkey10,000HardTurkey Ayla AksuBelgium Elke Lemmens Bulgaria Julia Stamatova4–6, 6–3, [10–4]
Win7–4Oct 2014ITF İstanbul, Turkey25,000Hard (i)Switzerland Xenia KnollTurkey Ayla Aksu Turkey Müge Töpsel6–2, 6–4
Loss7–5Dec 2014ITF Istanbul, Turkey10,000Hard (i)Turkey Ayla AksuCroatia Jana Fett Croatia Adrijana Lekaj3–6, 4–6
Loss7–6Feb 2015Rancho Santa Fe Open, United States25,000HardSerbia Nina StojanovićUnited States Samantha Crawford United States Asia Muhammad0–6, 3–6
Win8–6May 2015ITF La Marsa, Tunisia25,000ClayTurkey Pemra ÖzgenGeorgia (country) Sofia Shapatava Ukraine Anastasiya Vasylyeva3–6, 6–3, [10–4]
Loss8–7May 2015ITF Caserta, Italy25,000ClayItaly Alice MatteucciGeorgia (country) Ekaterine Gorgodze Georgia (country) Sofia Shapatava0–6, 6–7(6)
Win9–7Jul 2015ITF Denain, France25,000ClayBelgium Elise MertensSwitzerland Xenia Knoll Argentina Florencia Molinero7–6(3), 6–3
Loss9–8Nov 2015Dubai Tennis Challenge, UAE75,000HardBelgium Elise MertensTurkey Çağla Büyükakçay Greece Maria Sakkari6–7(6), 4–6
Win10–8Feb 2016ITF Beinasco, Italy25,000Clay (i)Netherlands Arantxa RusNorth Macedonia Lina Gjorcheska Bosnia and Herzegovina Dea Herdželaš6–4, 6–2
Loss10–9May 2016Nana Trophy, Tunisia50,000ClayRussia Irina KhromachevaAustralia Arina Rodionova Ukraine Valeriya Strakhova1–6, 2–6
Win11–9Jul 2016Internazionale di Roma, Italy50,000ClayChina Xu ShilinHungary Réka Luca Jani Georgia (country) Sofia Shapatava7–5, 6–1
Win12–9Apr 2017Lale Cup, Turkey60,000HardRussia Veronika KudermetovaRussia Ksenia Lykina Russia Polina Monova4–6, 7–5, [11–9]
Win13–9Aug 2017ITF Bad Saulgau, Germany25,000ClayRussia Anna KalinskayaRomania Nicoleta Dascalu Romania Cristina Dinu6–2, 6–2
Win14–9Jun 2018ITF Padua, Italy25,000ClayCzech Republic Anastasia ZaryckáBosnia and Herzegovina Dea Herdželaš Croatia Tereza Mrdeža6–4, 6–1
Loss14–10Aug 2018ITF Las Palmas, Spain25,000ClayTurkey Başak EraydınRussia Yana Sizikova Norway Ulrikke Eikeri2–6, 4–6
Win15–10Jan 2019ITF Monastir, Tunisia15,000HardChina Zhang YingSpain Claudia Hoste Ferrer Bulgaria Julia Terziyska6–3, 6–3
Win16–10Mar 2019ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt15,000HardSweden Jacqueline Cabaj AwadKazakhstan Gozal Ainitdinova Russia Ekaterina Kazionova6–2, 6–4
Win17–10May 2019ITF Nonthaburi, Thailand25,000HardBulgaria Aleksandrina NaydenovaJapan Haruka Kaji Japan Risa Ozaki6–1, 6–3
Win18–10Jun 2019ITF Akko, Israel25,000HardCroatia Silvia NjirićIsrael Shelly Bereznyak Kazakhstan Yekaterina Dmitrichenko6–2, 6–0
Loss18–11Aug 2019Verbier Open, Switzerland25,000ClayLiechtenstein Kathinka von DeichmannSwitzerland Xenia Knoll Switzerland Simona Waltert4–6, 3–6

Junior Grand Slam finals

Girls' doubles: 1 (title)

ResultYearTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win2014US OpenHardSwitzerland Jil TeichmannBelarus Vera Lapko Slovakia Tereza Mihalíková5–7, 6–2, [10–7]

External links