Australian Open Viral Video: Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez won hearts during her Australian Open match after stepping in to help a ball girl who collapsed due to extreme heat. The incident happened during Sonmez’s first-round match against world No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova and quickly went viral online.
The moment was captured in a viral video. It didn’t just grab attention for the concern shown on court, but also for the larger debate it sparked around playing conditions at the Australian Open.
Zeynep Sonmez Steps In After Ball Girl Collapses
The incident took place in the ninth game of the second set at Melbourne Park’s 1573 Arena. As Sonmez was receiving serve, a ball girl near the umpire’s chair began to wobble. She lost her balance and fell backwards under the strong sun.
Although the ball girl stood up quickly, she appeared unsteady again. Seeing this, Sonmez immediately raised her hand to stop play. The 22-year-old rushed to the girl’s side, put an arm around her waist, and guided her towards the shade.
When officials arrived, Sonmez helped further by lifting the ball girl into a chair near the edge of the court. Medical staff soon took over and treated the ball girl in the shade. After a delay of around seven minutes, play resumed once the situation was under control.
Netizens React To Incident In Australian Open Viral Video
Videos of the incident spread rapidly on social media, with many praising Sonmez for her quick and caring response. Read some online user reactions to the Australian Open viral video below:
Despite the emotional pause, Sonmez stayed focused on her match. Although she lost the second set after the delay, she fought back to claim a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 victory. The win was historic, making her the first woman from Türkiye to reach the second round of the Australian Open.
After Alexandrova’s final shot found the net, Sonmez held her head in disbelief before waving to the crowd. She later left the court wrapped in the Turkish flag, as fans waved red-and-white flags in celebration.
This result also marked one of the biggest moments of her career. Until now, her best Grand Slam performance was reaching the third round at Wimbledon last year.
