Ekaterina Alexandrova collapsed on court during her first-round match at the Memphis Classic, forcing her retirement and leaving opponent Kristina Liutova in tears.
The world number 19 and top seed was trailing 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 5-4 when play was abruptly stopped as she suffered a medical emergency. Temperatures reached 34 degrees Celsius during the match. While serving in the second set, she received a time violation for taking too long to serve. Moments later, she collapsed, prompting on-side medics to rush onto the court and provide immediate treatment.
It became apparent Alexandrova could not continue and she was taken away in a wheelchair, handing Liutova her first victory on the WTA Tour.
Liutova's Emotional Reaction
The 16-year-old Liutova was clearly shaken up and broke down in tears on the court, showing no mood to celebrate given the circumstances. She will face Maya Joint in the next round.
Liutova was playing her first match in a WTA main draw, facing a top-100 player for the first time and on the brink of a significant victory when the contest was stopped.
Venus Williams Loses Again
Elsewhere, former world number one Venus Williams suffered her 13th straight singles defeat at the hands of Anastasia Potapova in Washington. She was beaten in straight sets, failing to earn a single break point. Williams has lost all nine of her singles matches in 2026. She won 78.4 per cent of points on her first serve, but only 24.1 per cent on second serves and 20 per cent on return points.
