A routine post-match interview at the Australian Open took a frightening turn. Tennis player Luciano Darderi suddenly collapsed in agony on live television. This incident left viewers stunned.
The 23-year-old Italian had just powered through a grueling four-set win over Karen Khachanov. The scores were 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the third round on Saturday. But moments later, Darderi appeared on the tournament’s Blue Zone broadcast. He was visibly overwhelmed by pain. The effects of Melbourne’s brutal heat finally caught up with him.
Darderi doubled over as cameras rolled. He rested his head on the studio desk and clutched his leg. It was clear he was unable to continue speaking. The interview was immediately halted. He writhed in discomfort, grabbing at his hamstring. Host Chris Stubbs and former U.S. player Nicholas Monroe looked on in concern.
“Are you OK?” Stubbs asked as producers scrambled to manage the situation. “This is the conditions today that we’re facing. We’ll give Luciano just a moment.”
Darderi’s earlier match had been played on an uncovered outdoor court in temperatures approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the interview took place indoors, the accumulated toll of the extreme heat appeared to hit all at once.
The cramping eased. Darderi tried to explain the sensation. He grimaced as he told Stubbs it felt “like a dog that bit my hamstring.”
Despite the scare, Darderi is still expected to advance to the fourth round, where he’ll face world No. 2 Jannik Sinner — another Italian who also battled the heat earlier in the tournament.
Sinner’s own match was temporarily halted due to soaring temperatures. Play was paused so the roof could be closed under Melbourne’s extreme heat policy. He later admitted he was lucky to escape with a win after cramping at a critical moment.
“I was alone. There was no treatment,” Sinner said afterward. “I was stretching, lying down, trying to loosen up the muscles. It helped me for sure.”
The two countrymen are set to meet Monday at Margaret Court Arena. This marks a rare all-Italian showdown deep into a Grand Slam. This is assuming the weather doesn’t have the final say first.
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