New York | Nishioka drama in first round

A major drama was enacted on Court 8 at Flushing Meadows on the opening day of the US Open, when Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka collapsed at the start of the fifth and deciding set in his first-round encounter with Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.

Thank you for all your support. I apologise for worrying you. I was already feeling cramps around the 33rd point of the 4th set, and I was already cramping when I served at 5-4, Yoshihito Nishioka

In what were scary moments, Nishioka slumped to the ground in apparent agony following a change of ends after the first game of the fifth set.

With Nishioka lying motionless on the court, Kecmanovic rushed to him and sat beside him, offering him water whilst awaiting the arrival of the medics and throughout his on court treatment.

He was eventually taken away in a wheelchair whilst apparently still suffering from ‘convulsions’, having been forced to retire with the score in Kecmanovic’s favour, standing at 7-6(2) 2-6 5-7 7-5 1-0.

Nishioka later sent a message out on social media apologising for making his fans feel worried and explained why he suddenly felt unable to continue.

“Thank you for all your support. I apologise for worrying you. I was already feeling cramps around the 33rd point of the 4th set, and I was already cramping when I served at 5-4,” Nishioka wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“In the final [set], my waist started to spasm more than my legs, and I couldn’t stand up. Then my legs started to spasm too. Then my shoulder blades, both hips, sides, and thighs started to spasm repeatedly.”

Nishioka also raised concerns about the support from the officials after his request for a stretcher fell on deaf ears.

“I started having difficulty breathing, but with the support of my team, I was put into a wheelchair [I asked for a stretcher ,but it didn’t come] and carried away while still having convulsions,” he continued.

“The convulsions didn’t stop for about an hour, but I’m feeling better now. My body parts are hurting a lot, so I’m going to skip the doubles and go back to Japan.”

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

While Nishioka will head home for some rest, Kecmanovic can look forward to a second-round match-up against the Italian 18th seeded Lorenzo Musetti who brought Reilly Opelka’s hopes of a good run in front ofhis home crowd, to an abrupt halt 7-6(3) 1-6 6-1 7-5.