For the first time in the Open Era, a tennis player from Turkey has reached the third round in singles at a Grand Slam. It’s Zeynep Sonmez, World No. 88, who achieved this at Wimbledon. The 23-year-old, born in Istanbul, had already made history in the first round by defeating Jacqueline Cristian, becoming the first Turkish player ever to win a match in the main draw of a Grand Slam. That alone would have been a tournament to remember–but she didn’t stop there.
A Shocking Upset
In the second round, Sonmez faced China’s Xinyu Wang, who had recently reached the final in Berlin and came off a win over former Slam finalist Karolina Muchova. Wang was the heavy favorite, but Sonmez stunned everyone, prevailing 7-5 7-5 in a match that lasted nearly two hours. The match point captured the significance of the moment: as soon as Wang’s backhand landed out Sonmez screamed, put her hands over her face in disbelief, and dropped to her knees before even reaching the net to shake hands. She then shared a heartfelt hug with Wang, a respectful handshake with the umpire, and finally, the celebrations began. She waved to the crowd, many of whom were clapping and filming the historic moment, and then walked to her box in tears, hugging her team.
Historic moment for Turkish tennis 🇹🇷
World No.88 Zeynep Sonmez is the first player from Turkey to reach the third round in singles at a Grand Slam in the Open Era! #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/XXW3r2PoPX
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2025
Zeynep Sonmez’s Journey
Though her result may seem unexpected, Sonmez’s success on grass is no coincidence. Years ago, she made a conscious decision to adapt to the surface. Even when she was ranked outside the Top 200, she stepped out of her comfort zone and chose to compete in grass-court tournaments in the U.K., rather than sticking to clay or hard courts where she had previously enjoyed more success. Before this year’s Wimbledon, she had compiled a solid 15–10 record on grass, showing how much more at ease she has become on the surface.
A Nation Behind Its Star
Sonmez’s breakthrough has inspired a surge of interest in tennis within Turkey, similar to what happened in the Philippines with Alexandra Eala and in Brazil with João Fonseca. However, in Turkey’s case, the passion for sports was already evident–especially in football. Now, Turkish fans are channeling that same enthusiasm into tennis. Under videos of Sonmez’s match point, posted by Wimbledon and various journalists, the comment sections are filled with joyful and emotional messages from Turkish supporters. Can the dream continue? Sonmez’s next opponent is Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round–a tough match, no doubt, but not an impossible one.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
