A delay occurred during a match at the Australian Open when a ball kid vomited on the court. Greek player Stefano Tsitsipas was up against Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki in the first round on Tuesday.
Mochizuki claimed the first set 6-4, but Tsitsipas rallied to win the second set 6-3. In the third set’s onset, a ball kid fell ill at the back of the court, causing a disturbance with a loud gagging noise heard by the audience.
Play was promptly halted, and medical staff attended to the unwell ball kid while Tsitsipas and Mochizuki waited on the sidelines. This incident occurred shortly after Naomi Osaka’s match against Antonia Ruzic was suspended at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Commentators from TNT Sports initially puzzled over the reason for the sudden stoppage in the match between Mochizuki and Tsitsipas. The match resumed eight minutes later after the court was cleaned, and Tsitsipas went on to win the next two sets 6-2, securing a second-round encounter with Czechia’s Tomas Machac. Unfortunately, this was not the first instance of a ball kid falling ill at this year’s tournament.
In a separate incident earlier in the week, another ball kid collapsed during the match between Zeynep Sonmez of Turkiye and Russian player Ekaterina Alexandrova. Sonmez quickly assisted the girl to a safe area, and play recommenced after a brief delay. Sonmez recounted the situation to BBC Sport, emphasizing the importance of being a good human being over being a good tennis player and expressing gratitude for being able to provide assistance.
TNT commentator Catherine Whitaker praised Sonmez’s quick action, highlighting her attentiveness in aiding the distressed ball kid.