Zeynep Sonmez has made history by becoming the highest-ranked Turkish player in WTA rankings, achieving a career-high ranking of No. 59 as of today. The 24-year-old player moved up from No. 65 following her performance in the second round at the WTA 1000 event in Rome. This ranking surpasses the previous record held by Cagla Buyukakcay, who reached No. 60 in 2016.
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Both Sonmez and Buyukakcay are the only Turkish players to have entered the Top 100 in WTA rankings history. They have also made history as the only Turkish players to win WTA titles, with Buyukakcay capturing a clay-court event in Istanbul in 2016 and Sonmez winning a hard-court tournament in Merida, Mexico in 2024.
Sonmez previously served as a ballgirl during Buyukakcay's Istanbul title run, which she cites as a significant motivation in her career. In her own words, "It was very emotional for me. Everyone in Turkish tennis was there. Of course, it was a good inspiration for me and for all Turkish players."
In addition to her national ranking record, Sonmez also made history last summer at Wimbledon, becoming the first Turkish player in the Open Era to reach the third round of a Grand Slam. She repeated this achievement at the Australian Open this year.
Her recent performance on the tour has been strong, as she has progressed at least one round in her last six consecutive events, all at the WTA 500 level or higher. Her top results in this period include a quarterfinal finish in Merida and a third-round showing at the WTA 1000 in Madrid. Notably, she secured her first win against a Top 10 player, defeating Jasmine Paolini in Stuttgart.
After experiencing early exits at Roland Garros last year and struggling during the grass-court season until her Wimbledon run, Sonmez is on track to potentially break into the Top 50 in the upcoming weeks.