In a moment that transcended athletic competition, Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez demonstrated profound humanity during her first-round Australian Open match against Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova. As temperatures soared to 28°C at Melbourne Park, a ball girl positioned beside the umpire’s chair collapsed suddenly during the second set, prompting immediate intervention from the world number 112-ranked player.
Sonmez abandoned her competitive focus to sprint across the court, providing physical support as the visibly distressed youngster struggled to maintain consciousness. ‘She was really shaking,’ Sonmez later recounted to BBC Sport. ‘She said she was fine but it was obvious she was not fine. As we were walking she fainted so luckily I grabbed her.’
The incident triggered a six-minute suspension of play while medical staff attended to the ball girl, who subsequently received on-site treatment before being escorted from the arena. Tournament organizers confirmed the individual had been cleared to return home following medical assessment.
Reflecting on her instinctive response, Sonmez articulated a philosophy that resonated beyond the match: ‘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.’
The athletic drama continued as Sonmez, having trailed 3-0 in the deciding set, mounted an impressive comeback to secure a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 victory on her fourth match point against the favored Alexandrova. The Turkish athlete expressed hope to reconnect with the ball girl later in the tournament.
This incident occurred amid increasing attention to heat management at the Australian Open, where the Heat Stress Scale registered 2.8 at the time of the incident—a level that triggers enhanced hydration protocols. The tournament’s Extreme Heat Policy, updated in 2019, implements specific measures to protect players, staff, and officials when conditions become potentially hazardous.
In other day-one action, French qualifier Elsa Jacquemot delivered a spectacular upset against Ukraine’s 20th-seeded Marta Kostyuk in a historic triple tie-break marathon lasting three hours and 31 minutes—the longest match of the young season and the first Open-era contest in Melbourne to feature three tie-break sets. Jacquemot’s victory, achieved after saving a match point while trailing 5-3 in the second set, marked an extraordinary comeback against an opponent who had recently defeated three top-10 players en route to the Brisbane International final.