The Turk who does not tremble

Katie Volynets arrives in ’s-Hertogenbosch with two qualifying wins under her belt and a 2026 record that commands respect on paper. But grass tells a different story for the American: two wins and nine losses in her career on the surface at WTA Tour level, a baseline-oriented profile whose first serve lands consistently but doesn’t do much damage behind it, and a structural inability to convert her break chances in key moments. Her 39% break point conversion rate on grass this rolling season sums up the problem: she creates, but she doesn’t finish.

On the other side of the net, Zeynep Sönmez is one of the most interesting players on tour right now. Turkey’s number one and the highest-ranked player in her country’s history, she has put together a very strong 2026 season with a win over Paolini in Stuttgart, a third round in Madrid, and a third round at the Australian Open in January. On grass, she showed last year with her run to the third round at Wimbledon that she’s no stranger to the surface, and her numbers on grass this rolling season confirm genuine solidity: 63% of pressure points won on serve, 50% conversion on break points, and an ability to handle critical situations better than most players at this level, notably 82% at 30–30 and 83% on break points at deuce (40–40).