- Wimbledon star Aryna Sabalenka rushed to help a fan in the sweltering heat
- This is the second medical emergency caused by heat at the tournament in 2025
Aryna Sabalenka rushed to the aid of an ill supporter during her women’s semi-final against Amanda Anisimova.
The match on Centre Court was delayed for more than five minutes early in the first set after a woman fainted in the soaring 30-degree heat.
A concerned Sabalenka went over with a water bottle and an ice pack and handed it to a spectator in the front row.
The stricken member of the crowd was shielded with a Wimbledon umbrella and fanned by another nearby spectator before two stewards helped her from her seat and to the exit.
The delay came at a crucial moment in the opening stages after Sabalenka had just saved two break points to take the game to deuce at 3-2 down during a game in which the No1 had to wipe sweat from her palms before serving.
Once the game restarted, Sabalenka won the next five points to hold serve and force three break points of her own.
The match also had to be stopped shortly after as Anisimova led 5-4 when another fan took ill in the heat and needed to be protected by umbrellas before play quickly resumed.
‘It doesn’t get that hot in Britain,’ three-time Wimbledon champion Chris Evert said on commentary on ESPN. ‘It doesn’t. We’re not in New York, We’re not in Florida where people are used to it. It’s unusually warm for the British fans today.’
Most seats on Centre Court are in the shade but those on courtside are completely exposed to the sun with many in those seats constantly fanning themselves with hand fans.
Sabalenka’s actions came after reigning Wimbledon men’s champions Carlos Alcaraz helped another poorly fan on the opening day of the Championships when temperatures reached 32 degrees to mark the hottest start to the tournament in history.
The Spaniard’s epic first-round battle with Fabio Fognini was delayed for 17 minutes after he spotted an elderly spectator had fainted and alerted the umpire.
Alcaraz took over a cold bottle of water from the bucket behind his seat as other crowd members fanned the spectator and shaded her with umbrellas.
Reacting to Sabalenka’s heroics, one fan on X said: ‘Class’.
One commented: ‘Kind gesture appreciated here.’
Carlos Alcaraz raced to the aid of a woman in the Centre Court stands after she suffered a medical emergency during his first-round match
The spectator is thought to have collapsed amid the soaring temperatures at Wimbledon
Alcaraz spent time helping the fan and keeping an eye on her as stewards tended to her
Another wrote: ‘So many fans at Wimbledon are sat in the stands with no shade and many are not even wearing any sun hats/caps.
‘The humidity inside Centre Court is so much more too. Remember to stay hydrated and take protection from the sun. Nice touch from Sabalenka.’
The heat wave which has afflicted England has not relented on fans tucking into their strawberries and cream in SW19.
Thousands of fans queue up for hours before entering, and are then made to sit throughout the day with no shade.
Wimbledon has done its best to tackle the risk of sunstroke and exhaustion, setting up dedicated shade areas and more water refill stations than ever.
The tournament also set up a pharmacy for people to purchase sun cream on the opening day and had a London ambulance service on site.
But, like lots of England, it is not necessarily set up to cope with excessive heat.
There is no air conditioning on Centre Court, not even for the royal box.
