Inside US Open drama after tennis star collapsed to ground and retired
A scary moment involving Yoshihito Nishioka marred the opening day of last year’s US Open (Image: Sky Sports Tennis)
As the 2025 US Open gets underway today at Flushing Meadows, memories of last year’s shocking opening day drama will no doubt be hanging in the air. During his first round clash with Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic, Japanese star Yoshihito Nishioka dramatically collapsed on court, forcing him to retire in heartbreaking fashion.
The incident unfolded on a sweltering August afternoon during the 2024 tournament, towards the end of a gruelling five-set battle between the pair. Nishioka had fought valiantly, with the score locked at 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-5, 5-7, and 0-1 in the decisive fifth set. But suddenly, after a long rally, the then-28-year-old crumpled to the ground, clutching his body in agony. Medics rushed to his side as he lay motionless, struggling to breathe amid severe cramps that had spread across his waist, legs, shoulder blades, hips, sides, and thighs.
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Kecmanovic, showing true sportsmanship, sat down next to Nishioka and stayed by his side, offering water and words of comfort while waiting for help to arrive. After several tense minutes, Nishioka was wheeled off the court in a wheelchair, handing victory to his opponent by default. The crowd watched in stunned silence as the match came to an abrupt and worrying end.
In a candid social media post later that day, Nishioka revealed the full extent of his ordeal. “I started cramping from around the 33rd point of the fourth set,” he wrote. “It got worse in the final set, and I couldn’t breathe properly.”
He described experiencing convulsions for about an hour after the match and expressed frustration that his request for a stretcher was ignored. Deciding his health came first, Nishioka withdrew from the doubles event and headed back to Japan to recover.
Nishioka was forced to retire at the start of the fifth set against Kecmanovic (Image: Getty)
“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 added.
“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.”
Kecmanovic, visibly shaken, advanced to the second round where he faced 18th seed Lorenzo Musetti. “I was really worried for him,” Kecmanovic said at the time. He would later lose to Musetti in another lengthy five-set match.
Fast forward 12 months and both players have been battling to bounce back on the Grand Slam stage as they gear up for this year’s US Open. Nishioka, now 29 and ranked No. 82 in the world, has struggled to replicate his past form. At the Australian Open in January, he reached the second round before bowing out to eventual finalist Carlos Alcaraz.
His French Open campaign ended in the first round, and Wimbledon followed suit with another early exit in the opening match. Despite these setbacks, Nishioka has shown flashes of his trademark grit, picking up wins in smaller ATP events and maintaining an 8-11 win-loss record for the year.
He’s confirmed in the 2025 US Open main draw and will be hoping to banish the ghosts of last year’s collapse with a stronger showing – perhaps aided by improved fitness and the tournament’s ongoing efforts to manage player health in extreme conditions.
Kecmanovic was praised for his response to Nishioka’s predicament (Image: Getty)
Kecmanovic, meanwhile, has enjoyed a more solid 2025, climbing back into the top 50 at No. 49. The 25-year-old reached the third round at both the Australian Open (losing to Holger Rune) and Wimbledon (losing to Novak Djokovic), equalling his best performance at the All England Club.
At the French Open, he made it to the second round, contributing to an impressive 5-3 Grand Slam record for the season. Adding to his momentum, Kecmanovic captured his second career ATP title earlier this year. Like Nishioka, he’s also in the US Open draw, potentially set for a deeper run if he can build on his recent form.
As the 2025 US Open serves up its first matches today, stories like Nishioka’s collapse serve as a stark reminder of the physical toll elite tennis demands. With top stars like Djokovic, Alcaraz, and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner headlining the field, fans will be watching closely to see if Nishioka and Kecmanovic can turn their pages and create new headlines – this time, for all the right reasons.
