Zeynep Sonmez has moved to a new career-high and become the highest-ranked Turkish player in WTA history after a rise to No. 59 this week. The 24-year-old climbed from No. 65 following a second-round showing at the WTA 1000 event in Rome, eclipsing Cagla Buyukakcay’s previous national high of No. 60 from 2016.

Buyukakcay and Sonmez remain the only two Turkish players to crack the Top 100 in WTA rankings. They are also the only two Turkish players to have won WTA titles: Buyukakcay captured the clay-court trophy in Istanbul in 2016, and Sonmez won the hard-court event in Merida, Mexico in 2024.

Sonmez has a direct personal link to that earlier milestone. She was a ballgirl during Buyukakcay’s run to the Istanbul title a decade ago, and told the WTA it was an inspiration. “It was very emotional for me,” she said. “Everyone in Turkish tennis was there. Of course, it was a good inspiration for me and for all Turkish players.”

Her rise to No. 59 follows a breakthrough season on the biggest stages. Last summer at Wimbledon she became the first Turkish player in the Open Era, woman or man, to reach the third round of a Grand Slam. She repeated that third-round appearance at the Australian Open this year.

Sonmez has also established consistent form on tour, advancing at least one round in her last six events, all at WTA 500 level or higher. Highlights of that run include a WTA 500 quarterfinal in Merida and a third-round showing at the WTA 1000 in Madrid. She also recorded the first Top 10 victory of her career against Jasmine Paolini in Stuttgart.

© 2026 Robert Prange

Sorana Cirstea has reached a new career milestone, entering the WTA Top 20 at No. 18 following her run to the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event in Rome. The Romanian jumped from No. 27 to a career-high ranking after a week that included a third-round victory over Aryna Sabalenka, a win that made her the oldest woman ever to defeat a reigning WTA No. 1.

At 36 years young, Cirstea also set a different record: she is the oldest women’s player to make a Top 20 debut in the WTA rankings, which date back to November 1975. The breakthrough completes a remarkable late-career surge. Over the last 10 months she rose from outside the Top 100 last August to No. 44 by the 2025 year-end rankings, and has continued to climb through 2026.

Cirstea has come close before, having reached No. 21 in both 2013 and 2014 and spending time inside the Top 25 in 2009, 2022, 2023 and 2024. This season has provided clear highlights: her fourth career WTA title, and her first on home soil, came in Cluj-Napoca in February, and last week she recorded the fourth WTA 1000 semifinal appearance of her career in Rome. She is currently No. 11 on the year-to-date race standings.

During the off-season Cirstea announced that this would be the last year of her professional career. Despite that, 2026 is shaping up as the best year of her career. Having missed Roland Garros last year with an ankle injury, she arrives at the clay-court major with no points to defend, an opening to extend the climb she has mounted over the past season.

The move into the Top 20 caps a string of results that have redefined the back half of Cirstea’s career, blending a long experience of the tour with a sudden run of form on the biggest stages.

Jannik Sinner secured a landmark victory in Rome, beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to complete a Career Golden Masters. The world No. 1 described the moment simply: “There’s no better place to complete this set.” He became just the second man after Novak Djokovic to own a Career Golden Masters and the first Italian man in 50 years to claim the Internazionali BNL d’Italia trophy.

Sinner added the Rome title amid dominant form at the highest level. He has swept the last six tournaments at the 1000-level, including the first five on the 2026 calendar. The final at the Foro Italico offered several telling images of his afternoon: the local hero preparing for his entrance into the stadium, a slow start down 0-2, then an overhead winner that closed out the opening set, and the 24-year-old looking toward his box after clinching championship point.

Casper Ruud lightened the mood with a self-deprecating joke aimed at the Italian Tennis Federation and the wider sporting context: “I just wanted to say to the Italian Tennis Federation, you are doing an incredible job. With what Jannik is doing but also after Jannik you have six, seven, eight unbelievable players who are taking tennis by storm. I know that in football it’s a different story at the moment. Sorry! When you are losing to Norway, we have to be able to make a bit of jokes.” Sinner laughed at the dig and remained gracious when a planned champagne spray was delayed after Ruud struggled to open his bottle.

On-stage recognition underscored the occasion. Sinner was congratulated by Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella and by 1976 champion Adriano Panatta as he examined the trophy. The victory in Rome capped a near-perfect run at the ATP Masters level and delivered a historic home-court triumph for the world No. 1.