Zeynep Sonmez has matched her career-best Grand Slam performance at the Australian Open, reaching the third round for the second time in her breakthrough season.
The 23-year-old Turkish player, who captured her first WTA title in October 2024, entered the main draw via qualifying and already made history as the first Turkish player in the Open Era to reach the third round at Wimbledon.
In Melbourne, Sonmez continued her impressive run, following an upset of No. 11 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Anna Bondar.
“I know that it is a new thing in Turkey, but I do not want to stop here. I want to keep going. I want to do better things,” Sonmez said.
The atmosphere on Court 7 at Melbourne Park was unlike anything she had experienced. “I felt like I was at home. I really felt the support and like we were all playing together. At first, it was so loud I could not hear my own thoughts. Then I told myself, ‘Just focus, just you and the ball, play your game,’” she added.
Sonmez, who dropped outside the top 100 in the year-end WTA rankings, is poised to rise with another win, potentially surpassing her career-high ranking of No. 69. Advancing to the fourth round would also mark the first time she reaches the second week of a Grand Slam.
She credits fellow Turkish players, including Marsel Ilhan and Cagla Buyukakcay, for offering guidance and mentorship. “They are always trying to help me with their experiences. I want to do better,” she said.
Sonmez now faces Yulia Putintseva in the round of 16. The Kazakh secured her spot by defeating Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 6-2.
