Carlos Alcaraz rushed to help a spectator who collapsed during his opening match at Wimbledon, pausing play on Centre Court as temperatures soared. The defending champion handed over a bottle of water and watched as medics and members of the crowd came to the woman's aid during a break in his match against Fabio Fognini.
Spectator Cara McKelvey, 30, a council worker from Lancashire, was sitting directly behind the woman. She told PA news agency: "She was in her 70s, just with one of her mates, and had been watching the whole match."
Scorching heat causes collapse
McKelvey described how the intense heat affected the elderly spectator. "It was so hot when the sun was beating down. She just fainted," she said.
The response from both officials and fellow spectators was swift and coordinated. "The whole team were really good, they all came round. A spectator even ran over and said, 'I'm a doctor,' and started helping out. They treated her and moved her onto a chair," McKelvey added.
Alcaraz's compassionate gesture
Moments later, Alcaraz jogged across the court and handed over a cold bottle of water from his bag as medics rushed to assist. Ms McCelvey praised the Spanish player's kindness: "Bless him, it was so sweet. Alcaraz passed over his bottle - I was like, oh my God, that's Carlos Alcaraz's bottle."
A video seen by PA news agency shows Wimbledon staff sheltering the woman with umbrellas while another fan waves a handheld fan over her face. Play was suspended for several minutes before the woman was helped away for further treatment.
Official response and record temperatures
Umpire James Keothavong addressed the crowd during the suspension. "Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately there has been an incident with a spectator. Health and safety is our priority. We will be pausing the match," he announced.
The incident occurred as temperatures soared to 32.3C at Wimbledon on Monday - the hottest opening day on record. The extreme heat created challenging conditions for both players and spectators throughout the day.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
