Play was halted during an Australian Open first-round match Sunday when a ball girl fainted in soaring temperatures, with players Zeynep Sonmez and Ekaterina Alexandrova rushing to help her. The incident happened as Russian 11th seed Alexandrova was serving in the second set with the girl falling onto her back while standing at the base of the umpire’s chair. Emerging Turkish star Sonmez sprinted over to help while Alexandrova fetched ice bags from a courtside fridge, before the youngster received medical attention. Play was suspended for several minutes with temperatures reaching 28C in Melbourne. “I always say it is more important to be a good human being than a good tennis player,” Sonmez told BBC Sport. “It was just my instinct to help her and I think everyone would do the same. I’m happy I got to help.” When they resumed, qualifier Sonmez stunned Alexandrova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 for the biggest win of her career. The 23-year-old made headlines at Wimbledon last year, becoming the first player from Turkey to reach the third round at a Grand Slam in the Open era.
Ball girl collapses in Australian Open heat as players rush to help
Published on: January 19, 2026 8:05 AM