Historic Achievement for Zeynep Sonmez
In a historic achievement, Zeynep Sonmez has made her mark as the first Turkish player to advance to the third round of a Grand Slam in the Open Era, following her victory over Xinyu Wang, which ended with scores of 7-5, 7-5 at Wimbledon on Thursday. The 23-year-old athlete is optimistic that her success will pave the way for future Turkish talent in the sport.
“I hope this encourages kids watching me on TV at home and in tennis clubs,” stated Sonmez. “I want them to feel inspired and think, ‘We can achieve this too.’”
Significance of the Milestone
This milestone is particularly significant as no Turkish man or woman has reached the third round in a Grand Slam tournament since the Open Era commenced back in 1968. While Cagla Buyukakcay did manage to reach the second round in three different Grand Slam events between 2016 and 2017, Sonmez’s achievement marks the first time since Bahtiye Musluoglu made it to the third round at the French Open in 1950.
Support from Fans and Previous Challenges
The young player enjoyed a strong show of support from her fellow countrymen at the venue, even taking the time to snap selfies with fans after her match concluded.
“The presence of so many Turkish supporters here brings me immense joy,” she expressed.
Previously, Sonmez claimed a title at the Merida Open last year, but she has faced challenges in her previous three Grand Slam appearances, where she exited in the first round. This current tournament also marks her debut at Wimbledon, making her recent success even more noteworthy.
