Zeynep Sönmez has etched her name in history with her Australian Open heroics, becoming the first woman from Turkey to reach the second round at Melbourne Park after defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round. Along with this, the world No. 112 has also won hearts after showcasing an admirable and humane gesture during her match.
Zeynep Sönmez Delivers Kindness Highlighting Values Above Sports in a Touching Moment
The 2026 Australian Open has begun with stories being etched in the annals of history. The Istanbul native achieved one such feat, becoming the first woman from her homeland to reach the second round of the Australian Open tournament.
Sönmez entered the tournament as a qualifier, defeating Laura Samsonova, Julia Riera, Anastasia Gasanova, and then the Russian, world No. 11, in her first round with a final scoreline of 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, winning the first set, plummeting in the second, but coming back with dominance to take the third set, etching a memorable moment for Turkish women tennis.
However, the titleholder of the 2024 Mérida Open Akron also reflected a heartwarming gesture under the scorching Melbourne sun when a ball girl standing beside the umpire’s chair wobbled, then resumed her position and later fell. Despite this, the ballgirl was once again trying to stay put.
Still, Sönmez halted play and quickly went over to the girl, helping her walk back to the chair. As the player was assisting the young girl, she later fainted and subsequently received medical care.
The humane gesture the Turkish player displayed elicited an immediate reaction from the crowd, which applauded her compassion. As per Tennis Australia via Grand Pinnacle Tribune by Evrim Ağacı, the ballgirl was later sent home to recover after receiving immediate medical help.
The act was captured in a recent post by The Tennis Letter on X, with the caption, “A ball girl fainted during the Zeynep Sonmez and Ekaterina Alexandrova match at the Australian Open. Zeynep immediately went over to help her & walked her off the court. Compassion. ❤️”
A ball girl fainted during the Zeynep Sonmez and Ekaterina Alexandrova match at the Australian Open.
Zeynep immediately went over to help her & walked her off the court.
Compassion. ❤️
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 18, 2026
Considering her actions, Sönmez shared, as per the BBC, highlighting kindness and deep-seated empathy over sports, “She was really struggling. She said she was fine, but it was really obvious she was not fine. So I went to grab her and said, ‘sit down and drink something, you’re not fine.’ As we were walking she fainted so luckily I grabbed her. She was really shaking. I always say it is more important to be a good human being than a good tennis player.”
She continued reflecting that her sympathetic concern goes beyond the court, expressing, “It was just my instinct to help her and I think everyone would do the same. I’m happy I got to help. If I see the ball girl tomorrow or later in the tournament, I’d love to speak to her.”
Along with a single WTA title, Sönmez etched history during the 2025 Wimbledon Championships by reaching the third round and her career-high world No. 69 in October 2025.
