Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez steals the spotlight with a unique symbol on her racket

Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez has made a symbolic statement at Wimbledon 2026 after tournament organizers reportedly refused to allow her to wear a pin in support of Palestine. Instead, the world number 65 sported a watermelon-shaped vibration damper on her racquet, a subtle emblem that has come to represent Palestinian solidarity because it shares the same colors as the Palestinian flag.

The 24-year-old revealed the issue after her second-round defeat to American Claire Liu, explaining that she had spoken to Wimbledon officials but had been told the brooch could not be worn during the championships. While the badge wasn’t allowed, Sonmez said there were no objections to the watermelon symbol on her racket, allowing her to show her support in another way.

Wimbledon 2026 – 4th Update

Sonmez said she had previously worn the brooch at WTA tournaments before being asked not to. She further claimed that symbols expressing support for Ukraine were allowed while the Palestinian emblem was banned, although Wimbledon has not publicly commented on the claim.

“I used to wear a pin. The tournaments don’t allow me to wear it anymore. We had a discussion with the organizers because the Ukrainian flag is allowed but the Palestinian flag is not,” Sonmez told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency after the match.

“In the end, they told us that they definitely won’t allow it. So I can’t wear the pin. I can use a vibration damper and they can’t object to that. That’s why I put the watermelon symbol on the racket,” she said.

THE MEANING BEHIND THE SONMEZ GESTURE

The watermelon has become a globally recognized symbol of solidarity with the Palestinians, especially in contexts where the display of the Palestinian flag has been banned. With the same red, green, white and black colors as the Palestinian flag, the fruit is increasingly used in protests, artwork and public campaigns as an alternative symbol of support.

Sonmez has commented on this issue in the past. In an interview with the WTA in 2024, she said she wanted to use her platform to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, adding that while athletes cannot solve conflicts, they can still help draw attention to them.

“It’s a sensitive area for me. People in Palestine are suffering. I see videos and photos and I feel there’s not much we can do. But we can always do our best – it’s like I said, you can be the best version of yourself. I want everyone to know that I stand with them,” Sonmez said.

SONMEZ LEAVES

On the sports side, Sonmez’s Wimbledon run ended with a 7-5, 6-3 loss to Claire Liu in the second round. She later admitted that she failed to execute her game plan and made too many unforced errors in crucial moments, but stressed that her team will continue to improve her game rather than make sweeping changes ahead of the hard-court season in North America.

Despite the defeat, 2026 was a breakthrough year for the Turkish star. At the Australian Open, she reached the third round as a qualifier, climbing to a career-high No. 65 and continuing to establish herself as the highest-ranked Turkish woman on the WTA Tour.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

02 Jul 2026 21:49 IST