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 tournament’s first round on Tuesday.
Mochizuki took the initial set 6-4, but Tsitsipas fought back to claim the second set 6-3. As the third set began, a ball kid fell ill at the back of the court, causing a disruption with a noticeable gagging sound heard by the spectators.
The game was promptly paused, and medical staff attended to the unwell ball kid while Tsitsipas and Mochizuki returned to their respective benches. This incident occurred shortly after Naomi Osaka’s match against Antonia Ruzic was halted at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Initially puzzled by the interruption, TNT Sports’ commentators speculated on the reason for the stoppage. The court was cleaned, play resumed after eight minutes, and Tsitsipas went on to win the next two sets 6-2, securing a second-round encounter with Czech player 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 a match between Zeynep Sonmez of Turkiye and Russian player Ekaterina Alexandrova. Sonmez rushed to assist the girl, helping her regain her composure before play resumed following a brief delay.
Acknowledging Sonmez’s quick response, TNT commentator Catherine Whitaker praised her actions, highlighting her attentiveness to the ball kid’s well-being.
