(VIDEO) Zeynep Sonmez's upset win over Ekaterina Alexandrova halted as ball kid faints in extreme Australian Open heat
WTASunday, 18 January 2026 at 10:08
Ekaterina Alexandrova who up to this past week was World No.10 was dumped out of the Australian Open at the very first hurdle but that was not the main talking point when it came to the match as it was paused due to a ball kid collapsing on the side of the court in the extreme heat.
Alexandrova was mounting a comeback when this happened but then lost on their return as play was halted for a time while help was called. Sonmez was on course to cause an upset when she led Alexandrova at the time by a set and a break but Alexandrova roared back breaking twice and giving herself the chance to serve for the set.
Trouble struck though as when the Russian led 5-3, the ball kid went down on the side of the court as Sonmez stopped in her tracks and went over to help her and walked her off the court as Alexandrova too came over.
“The umpire is making an official announcement that the match will sort of be paused while help is on the way,” commentator Catherine Whitaker said.
“The most important thing is the welfare of the ball kid, but in terms of the match, this is tough on Alexandrova, who is serving.”
This break seemed to wreck the momentum of Alexandrova as she was broken on return and the Turkish fans inside 1573 Arena soon had more to cheer as despite Alexandrova forcing a decider, Sonmez held on for a big upset win winning 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Alexandrova won't be down for too long as she teams up with Venus Williams in the women's doubles but certainly a moment that wrecked any chance of her reaching the latter stages.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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