Yildiz made her official debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where she competed in the women's extra-lightweight class (48 kg). She received a bye in the first round, but succumbed her opening match to Ukraine's Lyudmyla Lusnikova upon the judges' irrevocable decision. In 2001, Yildiz reached the pinnacle of her judo career at the Mediterranean Games, where she became the first female Turkish judoka to capture the gold medal in her sport upon pinning Italy's Giuseppina Macrì in the final match by an ippon score. Two years later, Yildiz shared bronze medals with Cuba's Danieska Carrión in the same division at the 2003 World Judo Championships in Osaka, Japan to guarantee her spot on the Turkish team for her second Olympic stint.