Georgian tennis ace Nikoloz Basilashvili was forced to retire after struggling to breathe during his ATP Cup match in Sydney on Wednesday.
Basilashvili needed treatment from a doctor during his singles match against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas when play was abruptly halted and eventually abandoned.
The Sun reports: The 29-year-old hit a forehand long to trail 0-30 in the game.
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He then walked slowly to his team’s bench and tried to take some deep breaths and sip some water as he waited for the physio to come on to court.
The pair had a conversation before another doctor joined as hand gestures suggested he was feeling tightness in his chest.
He was overheard saying: “Every shot I’m out of breath.”
Emma Raducanu also had to terminate her magnificent Wimbledon run in a similar fashion last summer.
And the distressing scenes were reminiscent of Sergio Aguero’s health worries playing for Barcelona which ultimately led to his retirement from football.
Former British tennis star Colin Fleming said on commentary: “This is concerning, very concerning I would say.
“If you feel like you can’t take any kind of deep breath at this level and this intensity, that’s an issue.”
Basilashvili headed off the court with the medics while Tsitsipas kept warm by rallying with one of his Greek team-mates.
However, when the world No22 returned, the players shook hands and the umpire confirmed the withdrawal.
