Carlos Alcaraz showcased a very soft side of himself during his first-round match against Fabio Fognini at Wimbledon when he stopped the game to help a fan who had fainted.
The incident happened during the fifth set. Alcaraz was leading 3-0 when, during a break between games, he noticed something wrong in the crowd. He quickly told the umpire that a spectator had collapsed. It turned out that an elderly woman had fainted in the heat.
Women collapse during the Alcaraz match
Day 1 of Wimbledon witnessed temperatures reaching a scorching 31.4°C the hottest-ever opening day in tournament history. The woman, 79-year-old Delyth Lewis from West Wales, had come especially to watch Alcaraz play.
Medical staff rushed to help her while other spectators nearby used umbrellas and fans to try to cool her down. Alcaraz walked over and brought her a cold bottle of water from his seat, showing great concern.
One witness said, “He stayed with her and spoke to her and her family the whole time.”Play was stopped for 17 minutes while the woman received care. She was eventually taken out on a stretcher, but she was sitting up and responsive. The crowd applauded Alcaraz for his kind gesture, .
Alcaraz later said. "Even tougher when you're playing long matches, long rallies. So we're playing in brutal conditions. It's really tough to play with, but we are tennis players.
"Obviously, for the fan, and even here in London, they are not used to having this weather. Sitting five hours in the stand without moving, the sun hitting, could be really difficult to deal with for the spectators.”
Alcarazleads applause for Fogini
After the match, Alcaraz shook hands with Fognini at the net, then turned to the crowd, urging them to applaud the veteran. He pointed toward Fognini and clapped, prompting a standing ovation on Centre Court.
The gesture was a fitting farewell for one of tennis's most flamboyant characters. Fognini, who played his last at the SW19, admitted that the spine-tingling scene left him teary-eyed in the locker room. He said: "Oh, [it] was emotional.
