Zeynep Sönmez Makes History as First Turkish Player in Open Era to Reach Grand Slam Third Round
Zeynep Sönmez has made history by becoming the first Turkish tennis player in the professional era to advance to the third round of a Grand Slam, following her 7-5, 7-5 victory over China’s Wang Xinyu at Wimbledon.
Currently ranked No. 88 in the world, the 23-year-old will now face Russia’s 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 32.
Her achievement marks a milestone for Turkish tennis — no male or female player from Türkiye had reached the third round of a major tournament since the Open Era began in 1968. The last Turkish woman to progress that far in a Slam was Bahtiye Musluoğlu, who reached the third round of the French Open in 1950, prior to the professional era.
Çağla Büyükakçay, another trailblazer in Turkish tennis, reached the second round at three Grand Slam events between 2016 and 2017 but did not progress further.
Sönmez expressed hope that her breakthrough would inspire a new generation of Turkish tennis players.
“My mum and my team told me that there were videos of kids back home watching my match at tennis clubs,” Sönmez said after her win. “I hope they feel inspired and think, ‘We can do that too.’”
The Turkish star was cheered on by enthusiastic fans waving her national flag, and she took selfies with supporters after the match. “Seeing so many Turkish people here makes me really happy,” she said.
Sönmez is not new to success — she won her first WTA title at the 2023 Merida Open. However, until now, she had exited in the first round of all three of her previous Grand Slam appearances.
Wimbledon 2025 marks her debut at the tournament, and her career-high ranking of 76, reached in May, suggests more milestones may lie ahead.
