Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez has celebrated a major career achievement by defeating American Ann Li to win her first WTA title at the Merida Open Akron in Mexico.

"It was one of my biggest dreams. I’ve been working for this day for 15 years," Sonmez said following her commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory over Li on Monday's Yucatan Country Club court.

"Being here right now means so much to me. I want to thank everyone who supported me, especially my family," she said.

The match lasted just one hour and 10 minutes.

At 22 years old, Sonmez’s triumph makes her the first Turkish player in over eight years to secure a WTA singles title.

She follows in the footsteps of Cagla Buyukakcay, who became Türkiye's first-ever WTA singles champion after winning the Istanbul title on home soil in 2016.

With this victory, Zeynep Sonmez climbed 36 places in the women’s singles rankings to reach the 91st position, marking a career-high.