Zeynep Sönmez makes Turkish tennis historyCEFR B2
8 Jul 2025
Adapted from Arzu Geybullayeva, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Umair Dingmar, Unsplash
Zeynep Sönmez made history at Wimbledon by becoming the first Turkish player to reach the third round there. The achievement moved her to 74th in the WTA live rankings and was the first Grand Slam singles third-round appearance by a Turkish player in 75 years.
Her progress built on a breakthrough year in 2024. Sönmez won her first WTA singles title at the Merida Open Akron in November 2024. That win helped her climb the rankings from outside the top 150 into the top 100 and earned her direct entry into the Roland Garros main draw for the first time.
She began tennis as a child after being spotted at a summer camp and later watched the WTA Finals in Istanbul with her mother, an experience she says inspired her. Turkish social media followed her Wimbledon run closely and Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas publicly congratulated her.
- Wimbledon: first Turkish third round
- Merida Open Akron: first WTA title (Nov 2024)
- Moved up to 74th in WTA rankings
- Next target: the US Open
After Wimbledon she told journalists she had seen both shortcomings and potential, and that she would work step by step to get closer to her goals.
Difficult words
- achievement — an important success reached after effort
- breakthrough — a sudden important advance or progress
- ranking — a list ordering players by performancerankings
- main draw — the main part of a tournament with seeded players
- inspire — to give someone new idea or motivationinspired
- shortcoming — a weakness or fault in ability or planshortcomings
- potential — ability or possibility to improve or succeed
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could Sönmez’s Wimbledon achievement influence tennis participation in Turkey? Give reasons and examples.
- What practical steps might help her reach her next target, the US Open? Consider training, tournaments or ranking.
- How important are sporting events and role models, like the WTA Finals in Istanbul, for young athletes? Explain with reference to the article.
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