(Video) WTA Star Helps Fainting Ball Kid During Australian Open Match: “Important to Be Good Human Than Good Tennis Player”
Zeynep Sonmez knocked out Ekaterina Alexandrova and will meet Elizabeth Mandlik or Anna Bondar in the second round of the Australian Open.
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Zeynep Sonmez helped a ball kid during her Australian Open match (Image via X/Jimmie48 Photography, TNT Sports)
Zeynep Sonmez made global headlines on the first day of the Australian Open main draw. On Sunday (January 18), Sonmez helped carry a fainting ball kid during her match against Ekaterina Alexandrova.
This incident happened in the second set when Alexandrova was serving. Sonmez, who was waiting for the serve, noticed a ball girl close to the umpire’s chair collapse, but she managed to get back to her feet.
But the WTA ace stopped the match and approached the ball kid to check if she was okay before she helped the girl off the court. She immediately received medical treatment before going home.
Watch the video here:
Respect to Zeynep Sönmez who went to help this ball kid who fainted beside the court ❤️ pic.twitter.com/iHnX2TDaZ7
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) January 18, 2026
She was really struggling. She said she was fine, but it was really obvious she was not fine. So I went to grab her and said, ‘sit down and drink something, you’re not fine.’ As we were walking, she fainted, so luckily I grabbed her. She was really shaking.
Zeynep Sonmez told BBC Sport
Alexandrova, also the 11th seed, won the second set, but she failed to end the match in her favor, losing with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 scoreline. Although her singles campaign ended, she is playing doubles alongside tennis great Venus Williams. Alexandrova and Williams will lock horns with Elsa Jacquemot and Emiliana Arango on January 20 to kick-start their campaign.
I always say it is more important to be a good human being than a good tennis player. It was just my instinct to help her, and I think everyone would do the same. I’m happy I got to help. If I see the ball girl tomorrow or later in the tournament, I’d love to speak to her.
Zeynep Sonmez added
With this win, Sonmez has tied the head-to-head record against Alexandrova to 1-1. Last year as well, Alexandrova’s Australian Open campaign ended in the first round.
The 31-year-old has never progressed beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, reaching the stage four times, but never at Melbourne Park. At the Australian Open, Alexandrova produced her best when she reached the third round in 2020, 2021, and 2023.
The Russian ace, who has so far featured in 12 finals, has added five titles to her trophy cabinet, most recently at the 2025 Linz Open. But since that win, she has suffered defeats in three finals the same year (Monterrey Open, Korea Open, and the Ningbo Open).
Zeynep Sonmez will meet Anna Bondar or Elizabeth Mandlik in the second round
Zeynep Sonmez has qualified for the Australian Open main draw for the second time in her career. Last year, in the event, she suffered a three-set defeat at the hands of Talia Gibson in her opening match.
But Sonmez made her Grand Slam main draw debut at the 2024 French Open, losing in the first round. Last year, she played the main draw matches of every Major. After her first-round defeat in Melbourne, she lost in the first round of the French Open, the third round of Wimbledon, and the second round of the US Open. In WTA 1000 events, she played her best tennis in last year’s China Open, advancing to the third round.
Before her match against Ekaterina Alexandrova, Sonmez knocked out Laura Samsonova, Julia Riera, and Anastasia Gasanova in the qualifying rounds. In the second round, Sonmez will meet Anna Bondar or Elizabeth Mandlik.
Bondar and Mandlik will be locking horns on Monday (January 18). Both Bondar and Mandlik will be playing their first Australian Open main draw match since 2023, and neither has progressed past the third round of a Major.
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