Turkiye’s Sonmez storms into Australian Open 2026 third round

Zeynep Sonmez, a Turkiye player, defeated Anna Bondar in straight sets in the first tennis Grand Slam of the year, despite audible cheers and a sea of red flags as Turkiye’s star entered the third round of the Australian Open.

The world number 112 won 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday, playing on one of Melbourne Park’s smaller show courts.

Sonmez soaked in the cheers of a divided crowd that resolutely chanted her name on the court number 7. Sonmez became the first Turkish player to qualify for the third round of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon last year.

Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 23-year-old Istanbul girl, won her opening match to become the first woman from her country to advance to the second round in Melbourne.

After her fellow flag-waving compatriots led her to a dominant victory over 74th-ranked Bondar, she said, “I really appreciated there were there were many Turkish people, and I felt like I was at home.”

“I was a little nervous at first, but I think I gotten used to it eventually.”

She continued: “. On the court, I felt very good. I really felt the support, and I actually thought we were playing together.

In the upcoming round, Sonmez will face Yulia Putintseva from Kazakhstan, who is ranked 94th worldwide.

However, the favorite for the Turkish audience can anticipate more support as she grows, and she acknowledged that Australia’s support was superior to anything she’d previously received.

She continued, “My first round here was full of people, and there were many people at Wimbledon as well,” she continued.

“But today was a day like this, in my opinion.”

Sonmez, who won the only WTA title of her career in Mexico in 2024, claimed that the Turkish fans were so loud that she “couldn’t even hear my own thoughts.”

She continued to grow aware of what her fellow citizens were watching on television in her home at the early hours.

They are supporting me, I know. They are watching me, I am aware. I’m sure there were many people who just rose up to watch me at 3am, but I’m sure it was.