In a sport where mental toughness and physical endurance often take center stage, Zeynep Sonmez reminded everyone that compassion still has a place on the court.
During her Australian Open first-round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova, Sonmez didn’t just battle through a three-set thriller-she stepped up in a moment that had nothing to do with tennis and everything to do with humanity.
As Alexandrova was serving for the second set, a ball girl standing near the umpire’s chair suddenly collapsed backward. She got up quickly, but it was clear something wasn’t right. Without hesitation, Sonmez sprinted over, helped the young girl to the side of the court, and stayed with her until medical staff arrived.
“She was really struggling,” Sonmez said after the match. “She said she was fine, but it was really obvious she was not fine.
As we were walking, she fainted, so luckily I grabbed her. She was really shaking.”
Medical teams responded quickly, and the ball girl was treated on-site before heading home to recover. The match paused for six minutes, but the moment lingered far longer than that.
“I always say it is more important to be a good human being than a good tennis player,” Sonmez added. “It was just my instinct to help her, and I think everyone would do the same. I’m happy I got to help.”
That instinct didn’t just define the moment-it seemed to fuel her game. After dropping the second set and falling behind 3-0 in the decider, the world No. 112 clawed her way back, saving three match points and ultimately sealing a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 upset on her fourth.
It was a gutsy, emotional win-made all the more impressive by the conditions. Melbourne Park reached 28°C on Sunday, with temperatures expected to climb to 35°C later in the week.
The Australian Open’s Heat Stress Scale (HSS), part of a revamped extreme heat policy introduced in 2019, read 2.8 at the time of the incident. That’s not quite at the threshold for suspending play, but it’s enough to warrant increased hydration and caution.
Sonmez didn’t just manage the heat-she rose above it, both as a competitor and as a person. “If I see the ball girl tomorrow or later in the tournament, I’d love to speak to her,” she said.
Meanwhile, over on another court, the drama didn’t let up.
France’s Elsa Jacquemot delivered one of the biggest shocks of the day, taking down Ukraine’s 20th seed Marta Kostyuk in a match that will go straight into the Melbourne history books. Jacquemot, ranked 58th in the world, came back from a set and 5-3 down, saved a match point, and eventually triumphed 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (10-7) in a marathon that lasted three hours and 31 minutes.
It wasn’t just a grind-it was a record-setter. The first triple tie-break match ever played at the Australian Open in the Open era, and the longest match of the young season so far-just two minutes shy of 2025’s longest.
“I won it with the heart and with the guts,” Jacquemot said afterward. And if you watched it, there’s no arguing that.
Kostyuk’s early exit was a stunner, especially considering her red-hot form coming into Melbourne. She had just made a run to the Brisbane International final, knocking off three top-10 opponents along the way. But on this day, Jacquemot simply refused to fold.
Between Sonmez’s selfless act and Jacquemot’s relentless fight, Day One of the Australian Open delivered more than just tennis. It gave us heart, grit, and a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful moments happen when the ball’s not even in play.