World tennis witnessed a shocking moment on the opening day of the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington as Chinese tennis player Yibing Wu collapsed during his match after leading 4-1 in his first-round match against Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki on Court 5. The incident happened just weeks after the 23-year-old incurred an alarming situation during his 2023 Wimbledon opener against Frances Tiafoe.
The incident happened right at the end of the fifth game. After he headed towards his chair, he lost his balance and fell at the changeover in front of the ball boy. Two men immediately rushed in and tried to help him up, but the youngster did not look in good shape to stand on his feet. He was eventually forced to retire, implying that his opponent Watanuk, 25, progressed to the second round of the tournament in Washington.
Earlier this month, he had suffered from breathing problems during his first-round match in Wimbledon against Tiafoe where medical help was called for on the court. He had collapsed and was taken off court to checked over, but had later resumed his match after being deemed fit to play. He eventually lost the match 6-7, 3-6, 4-6.
It was later revealed that Wu’s heart rate had shot up to a whopping 187 leaving fans and viewers concerned, but the player said that the reason behind the incident was owing to the bad food he ate the previous night.
He said: “There was something wrong with the food I ate last night – I even felt like I was losing my consciousness out there. I was better after my medical timeout, but it still affected my breathing. I feel good to play like I did, given my situation. I will go for a further check-up later.”
The Citi Open match was however Wu’s second appearance in a tournament after that Wimbledon episode. He played in Atlanta last week where he won his first round match against Corentin Moutet of France before losing to the eventual winner Taylor Fritz in the round of 16.
The Atlanta Open had marked the beginning of the North American hardcourt swing in the build up to the 2023 US Open which will begin from August 31 at the Flushing Meadows in New York. The Citi Open will be followed by the two ATP 1000 events in Rogers Cup in Toronto and the Cincinnati Masters.
