A Tall Kid From a Regular Istanbul Neighbourhood
She was born in Kartal, a working class district of Istanbul, on 7 July 1999. Nobody in that neighbourhood could have guessed she’d end up one of the most recognisable volleyball players on the planet.
Bosniak Blood Runs Through Her Family
She is of Bosniak descent from Novi Pazar, Serbia, on both her mother’s and father’s side. A heritage she talks about with real pride, and one that makes her story feel bigger than just Turkish volleyball.
Twelve Years Old, and Already Too Tall to Ignore
She joined VakıfBank’s youth academy at just 12 years old. Most kids that age are figuring out their favourite cartoon. Zehra was already being scouted.
The Height That Changed the Game
She stands 198 cm tall, 6 foot 6 inches. In a sport decided at the net, that’s not just impressive. It’s terrifying for whoever is standing across from her.
A Loan Spell That Built Her Game
Before she became a fixture at VakıfBank, she spent the 2016 to 2017 season on loan at Beşiktaş. It wasn’t glamorous, but it gave her first team minutes she desperately needed at that stage.
Champion at 18, Before She’d Even Finished Growing Up
She won her first league title with VakıfBank in the 2017 to 2018 season. Most players spend years chasing a first trophy. She got hers as a teenager.
One Tweet, and the Whole World Started Searching Her Name
At the Tokyo Olympics, a fan’s viral tweet, “Zehra Gunes marry me,” sent global searches for her name through the roof. Overnight, a Turkish volleyball player became an internet sensation.
The Title Turkish Volleyball Had Never Won, Until Her
In 2023, she helped Turkey claim their first ever Women’s European Championship. Not just a medal for Zehra. A first for an entire nation. That same year, she helped Turkey win their first Nations League gold and was named the tournament’s best middle blocker.
A Trophy Cabinet Almost Too Big to Count
With VakıfBank, she’s won seven Turkish League titles, four Turkish Cups, three Turkish Super Cups, and seven CEV Champions League titles, the most recent coming in 2026. Add in multiple FIVB Club World Championship gold medals, and it’s genuinely hard to find a club trophy in European volleyball she hasn’t already won.
Still Climbing, Even With Everything Already Won
She helped Turkey win silver at the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship, the highest finish in the tournament’s history for the Turkish women’s team. Most athletes with a trophy cabinet like hers would be tempted to coast. Instead, at 26, with European titles, a World Championship medal, and a Champions League winner’s medal all already behind her, she’s still playing like there’s something left to prove.
Forbes Noticed. So Did Everyone Else.
In November 2025, she received the Forbes Türkiye 30 Altı 30 award, an honour given to 30 young Turks under 30 considered to be changing the world in their fields. Forbes specifically highlighted her influence beyond the court, calling her a role model for young girls across Turkey and a symbol of the modern, confident, successful woman in sports.
