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Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez has been handed a wild card entry to the Qatar Open, a top-tier WTA 1000 tournament, marking another milestone in her fast-rising international career following a strong showing at the Australian Open.
Sonmez, representing Türkiye, moved up to world No. 79 in the WTA rankings after reaching the third round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season. Building on that momentum, she will line up in Doha with special entry status, which allows players to join a tournament without qualifying based on ranking.
The hard-court event will take place in the Qatari capital from February 8 to 14, bringing together many of the leading figures in women’s tennis.
In the first round, the 23-year-old is set to take on Maria Sakkari of Greece, currently ranked No. 49 in the world. Should Sonmez move through, she is expected to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, the tournament’s sixth seed, in the following round, setting up a demanding early test against established names on the tour.
Another Turkish player, Berfu Cengiz, also competed in Doha but was eliminated in the opening round of the qualifiers.
She went down in straight sets to Poland’s Magdalena Frech, who sits 60th in the world rankings, bringing her run at the event to an early close.
The 2026 Qatar Open is one of the most lucrative events on the WTA calendar outside the Grand Slams, with total prize money of $4,088,211.
The tournament features an elite lineup, including six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek of Poland, reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, and defending champion Amanda Anisimova of the United States.
Played on hard courts, the Doha event is widely regarded as a key early-season test, offering both ranking points and a strong indication of form against the world’s top competitors.
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