A concerning incident brought a temporary halt to proceedings at the Australian Open on Sunday when a ball kid collapsed courtside during a first-round women's singles match.
Quick-Thinking Players Halt Play to Assist
The frightening moment occurred late in the second set of the match between world number 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova and Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez. Sonmez, poised to return serve, noticed the young official stationed near the umpire's chair was unsteady. Before anyone could react, the girl fell backwards onto the court.
Sonmez immediately stopped the point, abandoning her position to sprint to the aid of the collapsed youngster. The Turkish player helped the girl to the side of the court, where she appeared to go limp in Sonmez's arms. Chair umpire and Alexandrova also rushed over to assist, with medical staff quickly summoned.
Standing Ovation as Youngster Leaves Court
The match was delayed for several minutes while the ball kid received urgent attention. After treatment, she was able to regain her composure and stand up. Supported by officials, she walked off the court to a warm and supportive standing ovation from the relieved crowd.
"Ball kid is up on their feet and they’re being helped off court. They’re in safe hands," the on-site commentator assured viewers. The swift actions of Sonmez and all involved were widely praised by spectators.
Sonmez Secures Career-Best Win After Resumption
Following the delay, play resumed with Alexandrova holding serve to push the match into a deciding third set. However, the rising Turkish star Sonmez fought back to claim the decider, securing the biggest win of her career with a 6-4 final set score for a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 victory.
In other day-one action at Melbourne Park, seventh seed Jasmine Paolini made a powerful start to her campaign. The Italian, a two-time grand slam finalist in 2024, needed only 69 minutes to defeat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2 in the tournament's opening match on Rod Laver Arena.
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina also enjoyed a strong start, continuing her winning form from Auckland. The twelfth seed routed Spain's Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 6-1. Svitolina is now on a six-match winning streak to begin the year and is travelling the tour with her husband Gael Monfils and their young daughter.
