At 23, Zeynep Sönmez has become the face of a new chapter in Turkish tennis. The world No. 113, who first reached the Top 70 in October, has already collected landmark achievements: a WTA 250 title in Mérida in 2024 and a third-round showing at Wimbledon in 2025, a first in the Open Era for a Turkish woman. Her momentum arrived at a crucial moment for Türkiye during the nation’s first Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs appearance.

In Ismaning, Türkiye beat Germany 2–1 and Sönmez was central. She prevailed in a demanding three-set singles against German No. 1 Eva Lys and then teamed with Ayla Aksu to clinch the decisive doubles point. “It was a very tough match against Eva in singles,” Sönmez said after the tie. “I love playing against her. I love her personality. We are good friends and it’s good to share the court with her. In doubles, with Ayla, it was good energy on court. We are very happy.”

Her Billie Jean King Cup record is strong: 8–4 in singles since her debut in 2022, including an undefeated 3–0 performance in April’s Europe/Africa Group I with victories over Varvara Gracheva, Lisa Zaar and Anna Bondar. “We will try to play our best tennis,” she added. “We love to represent our country. We are proud to be here. We are a great team and will try to give our best, and then we will see.”

Sönmez travels closely with Eva Lys off court, a friendship she values. “She is one of the nicest girls on tour,” Sönmez said with a smile. “She is always smiling, always positive. It’s fun to spend time with her. She gives me a lot of good energy. When I am down or sad, I know I can go to Eva and talk to her. We are very good friends and it’s great to have her in my life.”

On court Sönmez combines aggression and adaptability. “I play quite aggressive,” she explained. “I don’t play so close to the line, but I always try to go in and end up at the volley. But I also have a defensive side.”

She keeps Istanbul as her base, prefers quiet evenings with family and is a keen filmgoer. “I like to go to the cinema to watch movies,” she said. “When I am at home, I prefer to stay at home, since I’m rarely there. I want to spend time with my family and loved ones.” “That’s a very difficult question,” she laughed. “I love the ‘Lord of the Rings’ series, but there are many movies I like.”

Germany fell 2–1 to Turkey in the Billie Jean King Cup Play-Offs in Ismaning after a tight tie that turned on one singles match and a decisive doubles. Ella Seidel won the opening singles for the hosts, but German No. 1 Eva Lys was beaten in three sets by Zeynep Sönmez, and the pairing of Jule Niemeier and Anna-Lena Friedsam could not deliver the final point in doubles.

Sönmez, 23, repeatedly attacked the net and broke Lys’ serve eight times en route to a 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 victory that swung the tie in Turkey’s favour. Lys admitted she struggled with timing on the fast indoor hard court and praised her opponent. “I am really disappointed, but I fought until the end. Zeynep is a great player and was the more dominant player on court today. I couldn’t really find my game, although I won the second set. She was very powerful in the third set and deserved it. She was the better player today,” she said.

Lys pointed to the abrupt surface change after a stretch in Asia as a factor. “I spent the last two months in Asia playing on very slow surfaces. Over the past few days here I’ve felt very comfortable, but this is one of the fastest hard courts I’ve played on in recent months. Normally I like that, but today I couldn’t quite find my timing in the match. I had to search for my rhythm the entire time, and I never really managed to get into it.”

On leading the national side, she acknowledged the pressure of a new role. “Of course, I think about it. On tour or even here within the team, I’m still trying to find my place. I’ve gained a lot of confidence after this year, but it’s still an unfamiliar situation in which I put more pressure on myself than I should, because I want to live up to that position,” she explained. “Within the team I get support from all the girls. You don’t really notice it there. When we go out on court, we all give our best. I have a lot of trust in the players we brought with us. They’re all very dangerous, and I see myself as one of them.”

Despite the defeat, Lys will finish the season inside the Top 40 and as Germany’s top-ranked player after a breakthrough year from World No. 130 to a career-high No. 40. She described that rise as special. “It’s still an unbelievable feeling for me to this day,” Lys said earlier this week. “It’s certainly a milestone in many careers—and to be able to say that I’ve already reached it and now finish the year in this position as well, is very, very special to me.”

Off court, she revealed disturbing security incidents to Die Zeit: “I’ve recently had to deal with stalkers who managed to get hold of the addresses of practice sites, hotels and even my room numbers,” she said. “They were apparently obsessed with me. That crossed every possible line.” She added that measures with the WTA help but “even these security measures have their limits.” After Ismaning she plans a short mountain break before returning to training, aiming to reach the Top 30 and be seeded at Grand Slams.

Germany head into the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Play-Offs with Eva Lys as their leading player and a line-up reshaped at the last moment by injury and eligibility clearance. The hosts will meet Turkey and Belgium in Group F on indoor hard courts in Ismaning with only the group winner advancing to the 2026 Qualifiers.

Team Germany’s squad reads Eva Lys, Ella Seidel, Anna-Lena Friedsam, Jule Niemeier and Tessa Brockmann. Laura Siegemund was ruled out through injury and the ITF approved a last-minute replacement two minutes before the nomination deadline, clearing 19-year-old Brockmann to make her debut for the national side.

“First of all, a big thank you to Tessa,” said team captain Rainer Schüttler during media day on Thursday. “We called her yesterday afternoon during training in Itzehoe (Northern Germany). She immediately agreed, dropped everything, and caught the last flight to Munich last night.”

Schüttler also criticised the administrative hurdles involved in the switch. “They required a passport that was more than two years old, but when you get a new one, you usually hand the old one in. So, we submitted ID cards, official documents, certificates, and birth records. She was born here, has lived in Germany her whole life, and has never represented another country. It’s surprising that the process was so complicated. This wasn’t a decision made in the spirit of supporting young players or the sport itself. The ITF should really reconsider this kind of bureaucracy.”

Once Brockmann’s eligibility was confirmed, attention returned to the draw. “We haven’t played either of these countries before. They’re both strong teams, but we’re strong too, and I feel like we have a really good chance this weekend,” said Lys.

Germany open against Turkey on Friday. Turkey’s squad includes Zeynep Sönmez, Çağla Büyükakçay, Ayla Aksu, Berfu Cengiz and İpek Öz. Team captain Alaattin Bora Gerçeker noted it is the nation’s first appearance in the Play-offs.

Belgium bring a youthful team led by Greet Minnen, joined by Jeline Vandromme, Hanne Vandewinkel, Sofia Costoulas and Magali Kempen. Captain Wim Fissette said the squad has practised well and expects a good atmosphere over the weekend.

Germany are bidding to reach the Qualifiers for the sixth time, making their second Play-offs appearance and first since 2022.