👧 Mina Cinlioglu | Tennis Papers interview, September 2025

“I would like to represent the Turkish National team at every age group.”

Meet Mina Cinlioglu, Turkish girl, talent junior tennis player who lives in Istanbul, Turkey and competing in Yellow Ball tennis category.

📘 Mina Cinlioglu | Biography, September 2025

🏠 Residence | Istanbul, Turkey

🌍 Istanbul is a vibrant city that connects Europe and Asia.
🏛️ Famous for landmarks like Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar.
🚤 The Bosphorus Strait gives the city stunning views and ferry rides between two continents.
🌳 Istanbul also has beautiful parks, gardens, and lively squares where families can relax and enjoy the city’s energy.

🎙️Mina Cinlioglu | Interview, September 2025

Hello, introduce yourself please.
My name is Mina Cinlioglu. I am 9 years old and was born on May 25, 2016.
I have Turkish citizenship and I live in Istanbul.

At what age did you start playing tennis?
I have started at 5 right after I got diagnosed as type 1 diabetes (like Alexander Zverev).

Are there other tennis players in your family?
No

In which club do you train tennis?
Gebze Tenis Kulubu

Who is your tennis coach?

• @hikmetsarac.gtk
• @coachozankaragoz
• @alperkorkustennis
• @coachaleynaa
• @tennis_coachicran
• @zehraciger
• @kadirtankuss

How many hours a week do you train tennis and do physical training?
I train roughly 21 hours and do tennis fitness for around 5-6 hours.

What is your junior tennis category and your national tennis ranking?
I attend 10 old tournaments with Green Dot Tennis Ball while I train with Yellow Balls.
In Turkiye national ranking starts at age 12. Therefore I do not have a ranking. I will have right to play at 12 year old tournaments as of May 2026.

What are your best tennis results?
I played 7 tournaments within 2025. I won 6 out of 7 winning 30 matches out of 31.
You can find a link to my profile at TTF website (Turkiye Tennis Federation). If you scroll down, you can see tournaments I attended and matches I played.
I have had many matches which I had many ups and downs. Those picks and valleys have taught be alot. One of the best performance that I experienced was the matched I played on 14.07.2025 against a player who represents one of the best tennis club in Turkiye. She was 14 months older than me and had a good name in 10 year old tournaments. I beat her 2-0 with a hard fought 2nd set.

In which countries have you already participated in tennis tournaments?
Currenly only in Turkiye but as of May 2026, I am hoping to be more active in Ex-Yugo and Balkan States especially.

Do you have any sponsors?
I have a sponsor Medsalus who supply CGMS (continues glucose monitoring systems) for better diabetes management.

What racket do you play with?
I currently use Tecnifibre which sponsored me between 08.2024 to 07.2025.

What is your tennis dream?
I dream for the short term. Currently I dream about the Turkish National Team. I would like to represent the Turkish National team at every age group.

Who are your favorite tennis players?
I firstly support Alexander Zverev who battles with type 1 diabetes as well as tennis legends who we all know. He is a fighter.
Secondly I like watching Jasmine Paolini and finally Zeynep Sonmez who raised bar at higher levels for Turkish tennis.

What do you like to do outside of tennis?
I like playing video games and going for shopping with my parents.

Thank you very much. Best regards.

Thanks a lot Mina!
Tennis Papers wishes you the best in your tennis life 💜🩷

🎾 Mina Cinlioglu | Tennis playing, September 2025

💪 Mina Cinlioglu | Physical training, September 2025