A terrifying scene unfolded on the opening day of the US Open on Monday when Japanese star player Yoshihito Nishioka suddenly collapsed during his first round match.
Nishioka collapsed to the ground at the back of the court during the fifth set of his match against Miomir Kecmanovic.
The 28-year-old appeared to be in distress after suffering severe cramps on a bitterly hot and humid day in Flushing Meadows.
U.S. Open officials quickly rushed to Nishioka's aid, and Kecmanovic sat next to him and offered him water.
Nishioka, who had to leave Court 8 after Kecmanovic withdrew, did so in a wheelchair.
“Thank you for your support,” Nishioka wrote to X in Japanese. “I started to get cramps in my legs around 3-3 in the fourth set, and when I was serving at 5-4, I got cramps again. In the final, my waist was more cramped than my legs, and I couldn't stand up, and my legs also cramped. I had repeated cramps in my shoulder blades, waist, sides, and thighs.”
“I started to have difficulty breathing, but with the help of my team I was able to get into a wheelchair and they carried me despite the convulsions. The convulsions didn't stop for about an hour but have subsided now. My body is in a lot of pain so I'm going to stop playing doubles and return to Japan.”
Kecmanovic won the first set in a tiebreak but Nishioka, ranked 53rd in the world, took the second and third sets before losing the fourth to force a deciding set.
“I'm disappointed that the match ended so badly, as I had a good chance of winning. However, I have risen in the rankings and had many confident moments during this US (hard court) season, so I will do my best in the Asian season,” Nishioka wrote. “First of all, I look forward to seeing you all at the Davis Cup.”
Kecmanovic will face 18th-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the second round on Wednesday.
