Tennis star suddenly collapses on court, causing distress as WTA match is stopped.
WTA world number 19 Ekaterina Alexandrova had to pull out of her first-round match at the Memphis Classic against Kristina Liutova after collapsing on the court.
Alexandrova, 31, who was the top seed in the tournament, was losing when she suddenly became unwell in the very hot weather. The temperature on court reached 34°C, and with Alexandrova down 5-4 in a long match, she collapsed during the third set.
Medics quickly came to help her while her young 16-year-old opponent watched, clearly upset. Despite treatment, Alexandrova couldn’t continue, so Liutova was given her first-ever win at this tour level.
Fans shared their thoughts on social media. One said, “Big moment for Liutova, but Alexandrova’s match was tough—15 double faults and a lot of break points given away. It’s been a hard year for her so far.” Another wrote, “So sad for Alexandrova, but what an amazing first win for 16-year-old Liutova in this boiling heat!” A third fan said, “It’s been a rough season for Ekaterina. She’s one of my favorites, so it’s hard to see her struggle.” Someone else commented, “Alexandrova had to be taken off in a wheelchair. Hope she’s okay.”
Liutova is just the second player born in 2010 to win a tour-level match, after Brazil’s Nauhany Vitória Leme da Silva did it last September. Next, Liutova will play American Maya Joint in the round of 16.
In other news, 46-year-old Venus Williams lost 6-3, 6-3 to Anastasia Potapova at the WTA Mubadala DC Open in Washington. This marked Venus’s ninth straight singles loss in 2026 and her 12th in a row overall, including last year. Potapova will face Diana Shnaider in the next round of the WTA 500 event.
Before the 2026 season, new ATP and WTA rules were introduced to handle extreme heat, using the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). If the temperature hits 30.1°C or higher during the first two sets, players can take a 10-minute cooling break. If it goes above 32.2°C, play has to stop for safety.