Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez won over the crowd and the internet with a heartfelt display during the Australian Open 2026. Somnez was in action against No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova on Sunday when a ball kid fainted on the court.
Zeynep Sönmez rushed to her aid, halting the game. She helped the child off by her hip, carrying her into the shade. The kid once again lost consciousness, leading the Turkish ace to lift her up and place her in a chair. Medical professionals attended to her before taking her way. The crowd appreciated Sonmez' quick thinking with huge cheers when he returned to action.
The incident happened at the 1573 Arena at Melbourne Park. Temperatures are in excess of 25 degree celsius with the heat and dehydration likely to be the reason behind the ballkid's collapse.
Sonmez lost that set but rallied to seal one of the biggest upset wins of Australian Open 2026. The world number 112 defeated the 11th seed 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. She became the first woman from Turkiye to reach the second round of the Australian Open.
She was trailing 1-3 in the deciding set, before turning the clash around. The 23-year-old had lost to Alexandrova in the third round of Wimbledon 2025 but on Sunday claimed her sweet revenge. After racing through qualifying without dropping a set, the win marked Sönmez’s first main-draw victory at the Australian Open and her second career win over a top-20 opponent. She walked off to a standing ovation, draped in a Turkiye flag.
