Who is Zeynep Sonmez, the Wimbledon with the ‘Palestine’ watermelon racket?
- Zeynep Sonmez‘s 2026 Wimbledon singles campaign came to a halt in the second round following a 7-5, 6-3 defeat to American Claire Liu.
- But the 24-year-old Turkish tennis player left an indelible mark on the tournament by taking a quiet yet powerful stance for Palestine, on the iconic grass courts of London.
- Prevented by tournament organisers from displaying a pro-Palestinian solidarity brooch on her attire, Sonmez creatively attached a watermelon-themed vibration dampener on her racket strings.
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- Zeynep Sonmez‘s 2026 Wimbledon singles campaign came to a halt in the second round following a 7-5, 6-3 defeat to American Claire Liu.
- But the 24-year-old Turkish tennis player left an indelible mark on the tournament by taking a quiet yet powerful stance for Palestine, on the iconic grass courts of London.
- Prevented by tournament organisers from displaying a pro-Palestinian solidarity brooch on her attire, Sonmez creatively attached a watermelon-themed vibration dampener on her racket strings.
Sources: Al Jazeera