Sonmez Becomes First Turkish Player in Open Era to Reach Wimbledon Third Round
A 7-5, 7-5 victory over world No. 32 Xinyu Wang drew a wave of Turkish support, highlighting her potential to elevate tennis in her country.
Overview
- Earlier this year she reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 76 on the WTA tour
- Her advance ended a 75-year drought for Turkish women in Grand Slam third rounds, the last being Bahtiye Musluoglu in 1950
- The 23-year-old’s breakthrough follows her maiden WTA title at the 2024 Merida Open and three earlier first-round exits at majors
- Her performance at the All England Club drew strong support from Turkish fans, some of whom celebrated with selfies after the match
- Sonmez has said she hopes her achievement will inspire young athletes in Turkey to pursue tennis at the highest level