Zeynep Sonmez etched her name into Turkish tennis history on Thursday, becoming the first player from her country in the professional era to reach the third round of a Grand Slam. The 23-year-old defeated China’s Xinyu Wang 7-5, 7-5 in a tightly contested match at Wimbledon on Thursday. Historic moment for Turkish tennis ?? World No.88 Zeynep Sonmez is the first player from Turkey to reach the third round in singles at a Grand Slam in the Open Era! #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/XXW3r2PoPX — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2025 Sonmez expressed hope that her achievement would serve as motivation for young players in Turkey. “My mom and the people in my team told me that there were videos of kids watching me back home, in tennis clubs on TV,” she said. “And I hope they get inspired or feel like, ‘Oh, we can do that too.’” Breaking a 75-Year Drought Her accomplishment is not only a milestone for the Open Era — which began in 1968 — but also breaks a 75-year absence for Turkish women in Grand Slam third rounds. The last woman to do so was Bahtiye Musluoglu, who reached the third round of the French Open in 1950. Before Sonmez, the closest any Turkish player had come in the Open Era was Cagla Buyukakcay, who reached the second round at three majors between 2016 and 2017. Sonmez was cheered on by a spirited contingent of Turkish fans at the All England Club, posing for selfies with supporters after her historic win. “I feel that there are a lot of Turkish people here, and it makes me very happy,” she said. First Wimbledon, First Breakthrough Although this marks Sonmez’s first Wimbledon appearance, she already has a WTA title to her name, winning the Merida Open last year. Prior to this tournament, she had exited in the first round at all three of her previous Grand Slam appearances. Now, with history already made, Sonmez is hoping her journey at Wimbledon is just getting started. (with AP inputs)