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Sonmez assists ball girl who collapses during match
Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez halted play at the Australian Open to help a ball girl who fainted courtside on Sunday. The incident occurred during her first-round match against Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Incident details
As Alexandrova served for the second set, the ball girl standing near the umpire's chair collapsed onto her back. Sonmez immediately rushed over, supporting the young woman as she was guided to the sidelines for medical attention. The ball girl briefly regained her footing before fainting again, prompting Sonmez to steady her.
Play resumed after a six-minute delay. Tennis Australia later confirmed the ball girl received on-site treatment and was sent home.
Sonmez's reaction
Speaking to BBC Sport, Sonmez described the moment: "She was really struggling. She said she was fine, but it was obvious she wasn't. I told her to sit down and drink something."
"As we were walking, she fainted again, so luckily I grabbed her. She was shaking badly."
Zeynep Sonmez, world No. 112
Sonmez emphasized the importance of compassion over competition. "I always say it's more important to be a good human being than a good tennis player. It was instinctive to help, and I think anyone would do the same."
Match outcome
Despite the interruption, Alexandrova won the second set. However, Sonmez rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the final set to secure a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 victory on her fourth match point.
Sonmez expressed hope to check on the ball girl later in the tournament.
Heat concerns
Temperatures at Melbourne Park reached 28°C on Sunday, with forecasts predicting 35°C by the weekend. The Australian Open's extreme heat policy (EHP), updated in 2019, uses a heat stress scale (HSS) to monitor conditions. At the time of the incident, the HSS registered 2.8, prompting hydration advisories.
Other day one highlights
In a record-setting match, France's Elsa Jacquemot defeated Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (10-7) in the first triple tie-break match in Melbourne's Open era. The three-hour, 31-minute contest fell just two minutes short of 2025's longest match.
"I won it with heart and guts."
Elsa Jacquemot
Kostyuk's exit marked a surprising turn after her strong start to the season, including three top-10 wins en route to the Brisbane International final last week.
