Zeynep Sonmez Makes History at the Australian Open

Zeynep Sonmez has done it again. Just months after etching her name into Turkish tennis history at Wimbledon, the 23-year-old qualifier powered into the third round of the Australian Open, with a confident 6-2, 6-4 win over Hungary’s Anna Bondar.

It marks the first time a Turkish player has reached this stage in Melbourne, continuing a remarkable run that has the Turkish community in full voice and the rest of the tennis world taking notice.

The match itself was never really in doubt, even if Sonmez had a few jitters with her first serve. She dictated play from the baseline, ripping 24 winners to Bondar’s 10 and creating seven break points, converting four.

The scoreline suggests a straightforward affair, but Sonmez was quick to point out the tightness underneath.

“The score was, like, 6-2, 6-4, but it was a tight match,” she said after the match. “So I’m grateful that they were there.”

Turkish Fans in Full Voice

They, of course, refers to the crowd. Melbourne Park has always been a melting pot of national pride, with fans turning out in numbers for their favorites—whether it’s Greeks for Tsitsipas, Serbs for Djokovic, or Filipinos for Alexandra Eala earlier this week.

Today, it was Turkey’s turn. Flags waved, chants rang out, and the noise reached such levels that Sonmez struggled to hear herself at times.

“I mean, I felt like I was at home. Basically I was feeling the energy. It was really unreal,” she said. “I really, really appreciate it. I felt very good on the court. I really felt the support, and I felt like we were all playing together, actually.”

She compared it to her Wimbledon third-round run last year—the first for any Turkish player in the Open Era—but insisted this felt different.

“In Wimbledon when I was playing third round, it was similar to this, but I think today was — I mean, it was a bit like — I felt like I never experienced something like this. In Wimbledon also there were many people, and my first round here, too, there were many people. But today was…I have never experienced something like this.”

The atmosphere clearly lifted her, especially on the big points.

“At first I couldn’t even hear my own thoughts. It was very, very loud. Then I said, you know, Zeynep, just focus, just you and the ball and play your game and just focus on the court.

I know that they were there to support me, and I really appreciate it, again. They did help me a lot, especially in the important points, I always felt the support.”

That support extends far beyond the stadium. “I always feel the support even back home, too. I know they’re supporting me. I know they’re watching me. It was, like, 3:00 a.m. in the morning, and I know that there were many people who just woke up to watch me.”

Coming through qualifying has given her a head start on adapting to the conditions. She played three matches to earn her main-draw spot, getting comfortable with the courts, the heat, and the bounce.

“I think it definitely helped me to play three matches in quallies, because I got used to courts, I got used to the weather and everything. As I played, I started to feel better on the court with my shots and everything.”

The one-day breaks between main-draw matches have kept fatigue at bay. “I don’t feel tired. I feel like I’m getting used to it more and more, I think.”

Sonmez Continues Her Rise

This latest milestone builds on a swift rise. Sonmez claimed her first WTA title at the Merida Open 250 in Mexico in 2024, defeating Ann Li in the final to become just the second Turkish woman to win a WTA singles title, following Çagla Büyükakçay’s win in Istanbul nine years earlier. She has also four ITF titles to her name.

Her breakthrough year in 2025 included that historic Wimbledon third round, a quarter-final in Merida again, and her first WTA 1000 main-draw wins during a third-round run in Beijing. She peaked at a career-high No. 69 in October 2025. Her live ranking sits around the mid-70s now, with a deep run here potentially pushing her toward the top 60—and possibly surpassing the all-time high for a Turkish woman.

Where it all Started

Sonmez’s journey started in the unlikeliest way. As a kid, she hated basketball so much she would run away from practice and head to the tennis courts, swinging oversized racquets on her own until a coach noticed.

“I don’t remember this, but they said I hated basketball so much I kept running away and going to the tennis courts,” she recalled in a WTA interview towards the end of 2024. “I was picking up big racquets and trying to play on my own. That’s when my first coach recognized me and said, ‘If she doesn’t like basketball she can join the tennis.'”

What really set her on the professional path was attending the WTA Finals in Istanbul as a young girl.

“I was 11 or 12, and I remember my mum picking me up from school [to go to the WTA Finals], and I was trying to watch every match. It was unbelievable, the atmosphere and the players were perfect. I was trying to watch every match. Azarenka, Li Na, Serena, Sharapova … they’re all such iconic players.”

Sonmez grew up watching Turkish players like Çagla Büyükakçay, Marsel İlhan, Cem İlkel, and Altuğ Çelikbilek. Now she’s carrying the torch, and they’ve been happy to see her progress.

“We had some good players… I think I grew up watching them, too, and I really appreciate, like, they support me, too, in my matches. They’re always trying to, like, help me with their experiences. I want to do better.”

An Ambassador for Turkey

Sonmez sees herself as part of something bigger for her country, but is also learning as she goes.

“Definitely it’s a new experience for me, too. Like, I’m experiencing Grand Slams, main draws… Everything is kind of new for me, too. I know that it’s a new thing in Turkey, but I don’t want to stop here. I want to keep going. I want to do better things.”

When asked about dreaming of a Grand Slam title coming from Turkey, she keeps it grounded.

“I mean, I think everyone is dreaming of winning a Grand Slam as a young girl or young boy, so it is one of my dreams, too. But I’m not focusing specifically on that dream. I’m just focusing on getting better every day. I really want to enjoy being on the court, because I know I feel and I play better when I enjoy being on the court.”

Her philosophy extends beyond results.

“If there’s another day in your life, you still have a chance to do good things. And if there’s another point in the match, you still have a chance to do good things. Never lose your hope. Tennis is so much like life. You always have to have hope, and the will to keep going. You’re not playing with time, you’re playing with points, and everything can turn around like this. You always have to be ready.”

That mindset showed in her first-round match against world No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova, where she not only pulled off an upset but paused play to help a ball girl who collapsed from the heat.

Sonmez rushed over, caught the girl as she fainted again, and helped her to safety.

“She was really struggling. She said she was fine but it was really obvious she was not fine,” Sonmez told the BBC. “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.”

She down-played the heroics. “I always say it is more important to be a good human being than a good tennis player. It was just my instinct to help her and I think everyone would do the same. I’m happy I got to help.” She even expressed hope to meet the girl again: “If I see the ball girl tomorrow or later in the tournament I’d love to speak to her.”

For Sonmez, tennis has always been about more than wins. Now, with Turkish flags blanketing the stands and history piling up, she’s putting her country—and the sport—firmly in the spotlight.

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