Victoria Azarenka collapsed and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair a half-hour into her second-round match against Gisela Dulko at the U.S. Open.
Azarenka, a native of Belarus, was taken to a nearby hospital where it was determined she had suffered a mild concussion.
“I was warming up in the gym prior to my match against Gisela Dulko when I fell while running a sprint,” she said in a statement. “I fell forward and hit my arm and head. I was checked by the medical team before I went on court, and they were courtside for monitoring.
“I felt worse as the match went on, having a headache and feeling dizzy. I also started having trouble seeing and felt weak before I fell. I was taken to the hospital for some medical tests and have been diagnosed with a mild concussion.”
Azarenka was trailing 5-1 in the first set and not moving well when she fell to the ground, not appearing to twist or strain anything.
Medical personnel rushed out and yelled to the sideline to bring water. After a few minutes on the ground, Azarenka was helped into the wheelchair and moved off the court, with a trainer placing his hand on her neck to check her pulse.
