Concern swept through Melbourne Park on the opening day of Australian Open qualifying after a ball kid collapsed on court during a match. The incident occurred during French prospect Luca van Assche's straight-sets victory over Tunisian Moez Echargui.
Courtside Drama Halts Play
The worrying moment unfolded on Monday afternoon with temperatures reaching 21.9°C. Van Assche, leading 2-1 in the second set, was preparing to serve when the ball kid, positioned behind the baseline, stumbled and fell to the ground behind Echargui.
Showing immediate sportsmanship, the 22nd-seeded Tunisian turned and rushed to aid the young official, calling for assistance from the sidelines. Echargui helped the stricken ball kid to their feet before the chair umpire and the player together assisted them off the court.
Swift Response and Match Resumption
The ball kid was taken to sit under a shaded umbrella at courtside, where a representative from Tennis Australia arrived promptly to check on their condition. The exact cause of the collapse remains unclear at this stage.
Following the interruption, play resumed. Van Assche, ranked 165th in the world, maintained his focus to close out a 6-4, 6-4 victory. He will now face Estonia's Daniil Glinka in the second qualifying round.
Qualifying Week Underway
The incident cast a shadow over the start of the qualifying tournament, which runs throughout this week ahead of the main draw commencement on Sunday. In other notable results from day one:
- Bernard Tomic moved a step closer to ending his five-year wait for a home Grand Slam main-draw appearance with a straight-sets win over Bolivia's Hugo Dellien.
- Britain's Dan Evans failed to qualify for the men's singles, falling 6-1, 6-2 to Japan's Rei Sakamoto.
- In the women's draw, former US Open champion Sloane Stephens advanced, while Australian Olivia Gadecki scored an upset over 22nd seed Arantxa Rus.
Van Assche's last appearance at Melbourne Park was in 2024, where he reached the third round of the main draw before falling to Brazilian star Joao Fonseca. Tennis Australia has been contacted for further comment on the condition of the ball kid.
