During the first round of the Australian Open, a match was temporarily halted when a ball girl fainted due to high temperatures. The incident unfolded as players Zeynep Sonmez and Ekaterina Alexandrova quickly rushed to assist her.
The fainting occurred while Alexandrova, the 11th seed from Russia, was in the midst of serving in the second set. The ball girl collapsed near the umpire’s chair, prompting immediate action from both players. Sonmez, a rising star from Turkey, quickly ran to her aid, while Alexandrova retrieved ice bags from a nearby fridge to help cool her down.
Play was paused for several minutes as medical staff attended to the situation. At the time, temperatures had soared to 28ºC. Once the match resumed, Sonmez delivered an impressive performance, defeating Alexandrova with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, marking a significant milestone in her career.
At just 23 years old, Sonmez had already made history at Wimbledon the previous year by becoming the first Turkish player to reach the third round of a Grand Slam during the Open era. This victory at the Australian Open positions her well as she prepares to face either American wildcard Elizabeth Mandlik or Hungary’s Anna Bondar in the next round.
As the tournament progresses, temperatures during the Australian Open can tend to rise drastically, often exceeding 40ºC. With forecasts predicting highs of at least 36ºC this week, players and staff will need to remain vigilant in managing the heat during matches.