Wimbledon semi-final halted by emergency as Aryna Sabalenka rushes to help in soaring heat | Tennis | Sport

Aryna Sabalenka rushed to the aid of two Wimbledon fans who fell ill on Centre Court. Play was halted twice during the Belarusian’s semi-final clash with Amanda Anisimova while medical personnel treated separate individuals seated several rows high in the 15,000-capacity venue.

In the first incident inside the first five games, the umpire alerted officials to an individual and they quickly made their way towards the incident. Sabalenka and Anisimova initially seemed confused over the stoppage but then noticed people rushing to help a person in the crowd. Having realised what was happening, Sabalenka briskly walked to her bag to collect a large water bottle. The 27-year-old handed it to a steward and gestured for them to pass it up to the ill individual. Fans climbed to their feet to applaud Sabalenka’s classy gesture.

Play was halted for four minutes before the individual was led away by three officials. Broadcast footage did not show the individual to protect their privacy. Fans clapped the medics as the person was taken outside.

In the 10th game of the first set, play was stopped again after another fan fell ill. Sabalenka responded in exactly the same way, grabbing a water bottle from her bag before ensuring it made its way towards the stricken individual. That stoppage was much shorter.

The medical emergencies occured amid soaring temperatures in Wimbledon and the surrounding south London areas. Both happened in roughly the same part of the east stand, which was exposed to the blazing sun.

Sabalenka and Anisimova battled in around 29 degrees celsius. The men’s semi-finals tomorrow are forecast to take place in 32-degree heat. Both finals take place at the weekend, with the women’s singles showdown taking place on Saturday and the men’s 24 hours later.

Carlos Alcaraz was widely praised for ensuring water was passed on to an ill member of the crowd on day one at Wimbledon. Temperatures touched 30 degrees while the Spaniard beat Fabio Fognini in round one.

Eluned Lewis wrote on X: “How can I get a thank you to @carlosalcaraz and @Wimbledon? as the fan that was unwell today was my mum. Thank you. Thank you for taking good care of her.

“Thank you @carlosalcaraz for the concern shown to my mum today who was taken ill during your tennis match at Centre Court @Wimbledon. Unlikely you’ll see this message but I can try! Thank you.”