A ball girl collapsed from the heat during the first-round Australian Open match between Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zeynep Sonmez on January 18, 2026, prompting a brief halt in play. Both players rushed to assist her, highlighting concerns over Melbourne's rising temperatures. Sonmez ultimately pulled off an upset victory over the 11th seed.
The incident occurred on the opening day of the Australian Open in Melbourne, where temperatures reached around 28-30°C under sunny conditions. During the second set of the match between Russia's 11th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova and Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez, the ball girl standing near the umpire's chair suddenly collapsed while Alexandrova was serving at 5-3, 40-40 deuce in the first set's aftermath (Sonmez had won the first set 7-5).
Sonmez immediately sprinted across the court to help the fallen girl, who had tried to stand but appeared shaken. Alexandrova fetched ice bags from a courtside fridge to aid in cooling her down. Medical staff quickly arrived, providing treatment in the shade with cold water and ice packs. Play was suspended for about six minutes until the ball girl recovered enough to be helped off the court. Tennis Australia confirmed she received on-site medical attention and was sent home as a precaution, emphasizing welfare priorities.
Sonmez later reflected on her actions, telling BBC Sport: "I always say it is more important to be a good human being than a good tennis player. It was just my instinct to help her, and I think everyone would do the same. I'm happy I got to help."
Resuming play, Sonmez rallied to win the second set 4-6 before securing the third 6-4, defeating Alexandrova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in a major upset. This marked Sonmez's biggest career victory and her first Australian Open second-round appearance as the first Turkish-born player to achieve it. The heat stress scale registered 2.8, advising increased hydration, amid forecasts of temperatures climbing to 36°C later in the week. A record crowd of 73,225 attended, underscoring the event's popularity despite the challenging conditions.