Zeynep Sonmez won a place in the hearts of fans, as well as a place in the second round of the Australian Open, this Sunday (18), when the Turkish competitor, coming from qualifying, ran to help a baller who had fainted due to the intense heat in Melbourne.
The world number 112 was in a tight contest with the number 11 seed, Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, and was waiting to receive serve in the second set when the girl, who was positioned next to the chair judge, suddenly staggered and fell on her back.
The girl got up but tripped again moments later, prompting 23-year-old Sonmez to stop the game and run towards her.
With the crowd applauding, Sonmez placed the girl’s arm over his shoulder and guided her to a seat so the medical team could provide care.
“She was really struggling. She said she was fine, but it was very obvious that she wasn’t,” Sonmez told the BBC.
“So I went to her and said, ‘Sit down and drink something, you’re not well’. As we were walking, she fainted, so luckily I held her. She was shaking a lot,” the tennis player reported.
“I always say it’s more important to be a good human being than a good tennis player. It was just my instinct to help her and anyone would do the same. I’m glad I was able to help.”
Organizers said the ballerina had already returned home after treatment.
“If I see her tomorrow or later at the tournament, I would love to talk to her,” Sonmez said.
Sonmez lost the second set, but managed to secure the victory by 7/5, 4/6 and 6/4, becoming the first Turkish woman to reach the second round of the Melbourne Grand Slam.
Her victory follows a 2025 season in which she reached the third round at Wimbledon, marking the best Grand Slam result in the professional era for a Turkish tennis player.
She also reached the second round of the US Open.
