dailyloe.com – On May 8, 2026, Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez will compete against world number five Jessica Pegula at the Roma Open. The match is scheduled for 11:00 AM. Sonmez advanced to this stage by defeating Jennifer Ruggeri 2-1 in the first round.
Sonmez recently achieved a career-high ranking of world number 65 after a successful third-round performance at the Madrid Open. Her goal is to surpass the record of Cagla Buyukakcay, who previously reached number 60 in September 2016, making her the highest-ranked Turkish female player.
Zeynep Sonmez commented on her progress, stating, “Toprak sezonu geçen seneye göre daha güzel geçiyor. Benim için daha verimli oldu. Daha fazla maç oynadım.” She emphasized her health as a primary goal during the challenging clay court season.
Sonmez aims to compete in as many matches as possible leading up to Roland Garros. She stated, “O yüzden sağlıklı kalabilmek istiyorum. İlk hedefim bu. Diğer hedefim de mümkün olduğunca Roland Garros’a gelene kadar da bol maç yapmak.”
Reflecting on her past experiences, Sonmez expressed that competing alongside elite athletes is now less intimidating. She noted, “Geçen sene Roland Garros’da ilk turda yenilmiştim. Bu sene ana tablo oynuyorum.”
Sonmez hopes to enjoy her matches and learn from previous tournaments. She remarked, “Umuyorum yani kortta keyif aldığım, eğlendiğim, biraz daha üstüne koyabildiğim…”
Sharing the court with top-ranked players has become a valuable experience for her. She stated, “Tabii ki çok güzel. Ama şimdi bence bu da tecrübe.”
Looking forward, Sonmez expressed excitement for the grass season, particularly Wimbledon. She said, “Wimbledon yani şu an en sevdiğim grand slam. Umuyorum çok keyifli geçer.”
