WATCH| Zeynep Sönmez's Classy Act Toward Ballkid At Australian Open 2026 Wins Internet Praise

Turkish player Zeynep Sönmez won the internet with her heartfelt gesture at the 2026 Australian Open. Sönmez was in action against World no. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova when an incident occurred at the Australian Open.

Zeynep Sönmez made headlines at the Australian Open 2026 on January 18, 2026, after she rushed to help a fainting ballkid during an ongoing match. The 23-year-old was receiving her serve in the ninth game of the second set when she noticed the ballkid wobbling a bit and stumbling over her feet.

The ballkid nearly fell once as well due to the sunny conditions at 1573 Arena. However, she soon got up and was wobbling again. Noticing this, Zeynep Sönmez stopped the play to get the ballkid proper medical attention.

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Zeynep Sönmez's Heartfelt Gesture Toward Ballkid

After the Turkish player noticed the ballkid wobbling again, she immediately raised her hand to suspend play for the time being. They then went to the courtside and put an arm around the ballkid’s waist and helped her toward some shade.

While the officials were quick to come in for help, Sönmez had to lift the ballkid into a chair near the side of the arena, after which the medical staff took over to assess the situation. This appeared to be a heat-related incident, with the temperature being immensely high on the sun-exposed hardcourt.

The play was resumed after seven minutes, and this gesture was appreciated by the audience as applause erupted in the arena after this gesture. Additionally, after the clip was released on the Internet, praise erupted for the Turkish player's gesture as people noted how Sönmez prioritised the well-being of the kid over the ongoing match.  

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Zeynep Sönmez Advances To Next Round Of 2026 Australian Open

Ranked world no.112, Sönmez broke the serve in that game and lost the set, but she managed to rally 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Australian Open to move to the next round.