Rome, May 8, 2026, 17:06 (CEST)
- Jessica Pegula was up 5-4 on Zeynep Sönmez in the opening set before their Rome round-of-64 match got suspended.
- Sönmez walked onto the court ranked No. 65—her best mark yet, and just five spots shy of Çağla Büyükakçay’s national record for Turkish women’s singles.
- Sönmez heads to Rome before Roland Garros, aiming to get more clay-court matches in and keep fit.
Jessica Pegula was up 5-4 on Turkey’s Zeynep Sönmez in the first set when play stopped Friday during their Internazionali BNL d’Italia second-round match, pausing Sönmez’s attempt to notch a win over a top-five opponent. According to the WTA’s official scoring page, action was halted after 36 minutes; Pegula had taken one of her two break chances.
Sönmez comes into Rome riding the best ranking of her career, perched at No. 65 by the WTA—right up against her personal best. That puts her just five spots shy of the Turkish record, set back in 2016 by former No. 1 Çağla Büyükakçay, who hit No. 60.
The Rome tournament holds WTA 1000 status, ranking among the tour’s largest events outside the four Grand Slams, with matches running on clay from May 5-17. For Sönmez, both the ranking points and the match play here are especially valuable ahead of Roland Garros later this month.
Sönmez battled past Italian wildcard Jennifer Ruggeri 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, clawing back from a shaky opener to win in just over two hours. With the win—her first time advancing to the Rome main-draw second round—she moves on.
Sönmez reached No. 65 after pushing through to the third round of the Madrid Open, another WTA 1000 event on clay. This week, Anadolu Agency noted her two-spot jump in the WTA rankings, though Büyükakçay remains the highest-ranked Turkish woman in singles.
Before heading to Rome, Sönmez told Anadolu Agency her clay season was shaping up better than last year’s. “I played more matches,” she said, noting her top priority is staying healthy while also aiming to get “as many matches as possible” ahead of Roland Garros. Anadolu Ajansı
Issam Jellali, Sönmez’s coach—and the same coach who guided Ons Jabeur between 2020 and 2025—said the focus right now is simply on getting a little better every week, not chasing a single breakthrough. “We are not afraid to play players in the top 10 or even the top three,” Jellali said. Still, he pointed out Sönmez’s serve, forehand, and backhand all need further work. Anadolu Ajansı
For evidence, look at Pegula. The American sits at No. 5 in the WTA rankings, with two singles trophies so far in 2026 and a total of 11 career singles titles. Dubai and Charleston are among her victories this season.
The situation remains unpredictable. Rain interrupted matches at Foro Italico, forcing the ATP to resume Friday’s lineup only after a delay. If delays keep piling up, players’ rhythm and recovery might prove just as crucial as rankings.
Sönmez faces a clear risk here: Pegula notched the match’s only break before play was halted, and she led in points, 31 out of 55, per the WTA scoreboard. If they resume with Pegula holding serve for the set, Sönmez’s window tightens, margin for error nearly gone. Still, the bigger narrative is a Turkish player inching toward a notable national milestone.
