Zeynep Sonmez has announced the end of her sponsorship with Turkish Airlines. The Turkiye No. 1 singles player posted on social media Friday that negotiations over the 2026 season had concluded without a renewal.

“Following sponsorship discussions regarding the 2026 season, the sponsorship relationship with Turkish Airlines will not continue,” Sonmez wrote.

She added a statement of thanks linking her work with the carrier to the opening events of 2026. “I was honored to represent Turkey’s national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, at the opening tournaments of 2026, including the Australian Open Grand Slam, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Open event. I carried this responsibility with the same seriousness and respect at all times, both on and off the court.

“I would like to sincerely thank Turkish Airlines for the trust they placed in me and for their support throughout our journey together. I also extend my gratitude to all Turkish Airlines employees, both in the air and on the ground, for their professionalism and continued support.”

The decision has attracted attention coming after Sonmez’s breakthrough results in 2025. The 23-year-old became the first player representing Turkiye to reach the third round of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2025, a milestone she matched at this year’s Australian Open as a qualifier. She was also instrumental in Turkiye’s upset win over Germany in its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs appearance.

Sonmez entered the Top 70 last year, reaching a career-high No. 69 in October 2025. At present, no other Turkish player — male or female — is ranked inside the Top 300 of the WTA or ATP listings.

The announcement follows Turkish Airlines’ unveiling of Zheng Qinwen as a global brand ambassador on Feb. 7. The airline, which says it flies to more countries than any other, described the move as part of a strategy to expand in the Asia-Pacific region. Turkish Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Ahmet Olmuştur stated : “As we continue to strengthen our presence across the Asia-Pacific region, this partnership reflects our commitment to connecting the region with the world while supporting excellence in sport and cultural exchange.”

The draft also notes Zheng’s commercial profile and recent return from elbow surgery, and the wider trend of major carriers naming high-profile tennis ambassadors in 2026.

Lindsay Davenport has signed a two-year contract renewal to remain the United States captain for the Billie Jean King Cup, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Tuesday.

Davenport, who took the captaincy in 2024, guided the American team to the competition’s final this year, the U.S. squad’s first appearance in that round since 2018. The Americans fell to Italy in the championship match.

“It’s an incredible honor to serve as U.S. Billie Jean Cup Captain, and I’m thrilled and humbled to continue doing it, especially during such an amazing time for women’s tennis in America,” Davenport said.

As a player, Davenport was part of U.S. teams that won the event in 1996, 1999 and 2000. Her individual résumé includes three Grand Slam singles titles, a stint at No. 1 in the WTA rankings and induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014.

The renewal comes amid a strong year for American women’s tennis. With Coco Gauff at No. 3, Amanda Anisimova at No. 4, Jessica Pegula at No. 6 and Madison Keys at No. 7, this season marked the first time since 2004 that four American women finished the year inside the top 10.

In 2004 Davenport finished the season at No. 1 and was joined in the year-end top 10 by Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Jennifer Capriati.

The USTA said the extension preserves continuity for the Billie Jean King Cup program after the Americans returned to the final under Davenport’s leadership. The two-year deal keeps her in the role as the team prepares for forthcoming international ties and the next edition of the competition.

Jeline Vandromme produced the decisive spark as Belgium upset Germany and earned a spot in the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers on her 18th birthday. The tie in Ismaning ended 2-0 in Belgium’s favor in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,415 at TC Ismaning.

Vandromme opened the meeting with a gritty win over Anna-Lena Friedsam, prevailing 7–6(0), 2–6, 6–3 in a one-hour-and-36-minute battle. “I am very happy to win the first point. I always expect a hard match, but I am just proud of myself for how I stayed in the match and stayed focused the whole time,” Vandromme said.

The US Open junior champion and ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals winner in Chengdu, ranked Junior World No. 2, has begun translating junior success into the women’s game; she has captured four ITF World Tennis Tour titles this season. Vandromme’s composure under pressure was a major factor in Belgium’s weekend run.

Hanne Vandewinkel closed out the tie, beating Ella Seidel 6–0, 6–4 in 72 minutes. Seidel, who replaced Eva Lys after a thigh injury forced Lys to withdraw, recovered in the second set but could not overturn the early deficit.

Belgium’s route to the final day had been unpredictable. Türkiye stunned Germany 2–1 on Friday, and a narrow victory by Belgium over Türkiye kept the weekend alive. At one point Ayla Aksu and Ipek Öz held match points in the decisive doubles against Belgium on Saturday. The final outcome returned to the scheduled Sunday showdown, but the home team could not take advantage of its support.

“We are super happy with the week,” team captain Wim Fissette said. “From the beginning we had a special energy and a positive atmosphere in the team. Yesterday was really tough but we managed to find a way to win. Today was just a really good day for us.”

“It’s special to be back,” Fissette added. “We played without our best player, but the young girls were able to do it. The result is great, but it is also important for me that the girls have taken a step forward since the last time we met. That’s positive for the future of Belgian tennis.”

Germany, who had sought their 100th Billie Jean King Cup tie win, will be relegated to Europe/Africa Group I for the first time since 2012. “We are very disappointed,” Germany’s team captain Rainer Schüttler said. “We had imagined it differently. But you could also see how close everything is here.”