Sonmez Becomes First Turkish Player in Open Era to Reach Third Round of a Slam

Türkiye's Zeynep Sonmez serves to China's Wang Xinyu during their women's singles second round tennis match on the fourth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2025. (AFP)
Türkiye's Zeynep Sonmez serves to China's Wang Xinyu during their women's singles second round tennis match on the fourth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2025. (AFP)
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Sonmez Becomes First Turkish Player in Open Era to Reach Third Round of a Slam

Türkiye's Zeynep Sonmez serves to China's Wang Xinyu during their women's singles second round tennis match on the fourth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2025. (AFP)
Türkiye's Zeynep Sonmez serves to China's Wang Xinyu during their women's singles second round tennis match on the fourth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2025. (AFP)

Zeynep Sonmez became the first Turkish player in the professional era to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament by beating Xinyu Wang 7-5, 7-5 at Wimbledon on Thursday.

She hopes her win ensures it won't be that long before another Turkish player reaches that stage.

"My mom and the people in my team told me that there were videos where kids were watching me back at home, in tennis clubs on TV," Sonmez said. "And I hope they get inspired or they feel like, ‘Oh, we can do that too.’"

No Turkish man or woman had made the third round of a major since the Open Era began in 1968, although Cagla Buyukakcay made the second round at three Grand Slams between 2016-17.

One has to go back 75 years to find the last Turkish woman to make it that far, when Bahtiye Musluoglu reached the third round of the French Open in 1950.

The 23-year-old Sonmez was supported by a number of Turkish fans in the crowd and took selfies with some of them after the match.

"I feel that there are a lot of Turkish people (here) and it makes me very happy," she said.

Sonmez has a WTA title under her belt, at last year's Merida Open, but had lost in the first round in three previous major tournaments. This is her first Wimbledon appearance.



Women’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Finals Set for Saturday at Esports World Cup

In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard - SPA
In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard - SPA
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Women’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Finals Set for Saturday at Esports World Cup

In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard - SPA
In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard - SPA

The women’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament at the second Esports World Cup concludes Saturday, featuring finals between Team Liquid, Vincere PH, ONIC Pertiwi, Team Vitality, and Saudi Arabia’s Twisted Minds, who made history by securing the final spot from Group A after defeating local rivals Valcons Vega MENA, while eight teams have been eliminated from the competition.

In Free Fire, the opening round unfolded across six maps, with Team Falcons, led by their Thai stars, temporarily topping the leaderboard, SPA reported.

Brazilian teams aiN Gaming and Fluxo also delivered strong performances, signaling a thrilling conclusion to the tournament. The unpredictable nature of the game, reminiscent of the dramatic upsets seen in Apex Legends last week, promises more twists ahead.

The global event continues to captivate millions of fans worldwide, driven by massive engagement across social media.

As the tournament progresses, the Kingdom remains at the forefront of the global esports and gaming scene, providing a world-class platform that merges entertainment and competition.