Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez stopped playing to help a ball girl when she fainted during an Australian Open match on Sunday.
The incident occurred during the second set of the match between Sonmez and Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova. As Sonmez prepared to receive the serve, the ball girl next to the referee tripped and fell onto her back. She quickly stood up.
advertisement
Sonmez called for a stoppage in play and walked over to check on the ball girls. When the referee left, Sonmez put his arm around the ball girl and helped her off the court. The ballgirl collapsed again in Sonmez’s arms, but Sonmez helped her find a seat in the shade.
According to the Telegraph, play was stopped for six minutes as Beauregard sought medical attention. Sonmez, unseeded and ranked 112th in the world, defeated 11th seed Alexandrova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to advance to the second round.
“She was really struggling,” Sonmez told BBC Sport about the ballgirl after the match. “She said she was okay, but it was obvious she wasn’t okay. So I went to get her and said, ‘Sit down and drink something, you’re not okay.’
“She passed out as we were walking and luckily I held her. She was really shaking.”
According to BBC Sport, the high temperature during Sunday’s game reached 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures are expected to reach 95 degrees by the end of next week.
advertisement
The ballgirl’s condition was not reported after the game.
“I always say being a good person is more important than being a good tennis player,” Sonmez said after the match. “It was my instinct to want to help her, and I think everyone would do the same. I’m glad I could help.”
