A scary scene unfolded on the opening day of the U.S. Open on Monday when Japanese star Yoshihito Nishioka suddenly collapsed during his first-round match.
Nishioka was in the fifth set of his match against Miomir Kecmanović when he crashed to the ground at the back of the court.
The 28-year-old appeared in agony as he dealt with severe cramping on a brutally humid day at Flushing Meadows.
U.S. open officials immediately rushed to his aid and Kecmanović came over to offer Nishioka some water as he sat by his side.
Nishioka needed a wheelchair to get off Court 8 as Kecmanović advanced to the second round due to the retirement.
“Thank you very much for your support…,” Nishioka wrote in Japanese on X. “I was already feeling cramps around 3-3 in the 4th set, and my serve at 5-4 (there) was already cramping. In the final (game), my lower back was more convulsive than my legs, and I couldn’t stand up, and then my legs also convulsed. I was having repeated spasms in my shoulder blades, hips, flanks, and thighs.
“I started having trouble breathing, but with the help of the team, I was able to get into a wheelchair, and they carried me away despite my convulsions. The convulsions didn’t stop for about an hour, but they’ve subsided now. My body parts are hurting a lot, so I’m planning to skip doubles and go back to Japan.”
Kecmanović won the first set in a tiebreak before Nishioka — the 53rd-ranked player in the world — rallied to win the second and third before dropping the fourth to force a deciding set.
“It’s a shame that it ended so badly and we looked like we could have won the match, but this American (hard-court) season we rose in the rankings and there were many moments that gave us confidence, so we will continue to do our best in the Asian season,” Nishioka wrote. “First of all, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the Davis Cup.”
Kecmanović will face 18th-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the second round Wednesday.
