Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez said being a good human being matters more than being a good tennis player after she rushed to help a ball girl who collapsed during her Australian Open match.
The incident happened while Sonmez’s opponent, Ekaterina Alexandrova, was serving. The ball girl, standing near the umpire’s chair, suddenly fell to the ground and briefly got back up.
Sonmez quickly ran over and helped the ball girl walk to the side of the court so she could get medical attention. The girl fainted again while they were walking, but Sonmez caught her and supported her until help arrived.
Play was stopped for about six minutes before resuming. Tennis Australia later confirmed the ball girl was treated on site and then sent home.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Sonmez said it was clear the ball girl was not okay, even though she said she was fine. Sonmez said helping her was simply an instinct.
Despite the interruption, Sonmez went on to beat Alexandrova in a tough three-set match to record an upset win.
The match was played in hot conditions, with temperatures reaching 28°C at Melbourne Park. Officials said the heat stress scale reading was 2.8 at the time, which advises players and staff to increase hydration.
