Concerning scenes at Citi Open as Yibing Wu collapses on court due to excessive heat

Yibing Wu was unable to continue playing and had to withdraw from the Citi Open 2023 tournament after he collapsed on the court due to the scorching heat.

The Mubadala Citi DC Open witnessed a frightening moment on Monday, July 31, when Wu collapsed on the court due to heat exhaustion. The 23-year-old Chinese was leading 4-1 in the first set against Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki when he suddenly fell near a ballboy and was unable to continue playing. Watanuki advanced to the second round by default.

This was not the first time Wu had suffered from health issues on the court. Just a few weeks ago, he also collapsed during his Wimbledon opener against America's Frances Tiafoe.

Wu managed to finish the match but lost 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-4. However, his condition worsened at the Citi Open, where the temperature was way higher.

The shocking incident was captured on video and posted on Twitter by Tennis TV on Monday.

"Unfortunately Wu Yibing has been forced to retire, sending Yosuke Watanuki through, 1-4 RET. Get well soon, Yibing," the tweet read.

---

A look at Yibing Wu’s performance in Ultimate Tennis Showdown 2023

Yibibg Wu in Ultimate Tennis Showdown Los Angeles

Yibing Wu recently made history by winning the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in Los Angeles. UTS is a unique exhibition event that features innovative rules and formats. Wu, who goes by the nickname ‘The Great Wall’, defeated America's Taylor Fritz, aka ‘The Hotshot’, in a thrilling final.

Wu was placed in Group A along with Fritz, Diego Schwartzman (‘El Peque’), and Benoit Paire (‘The Rebel’). He started his campaign with a win over Paire. The Chinese star then lost to Fritz in a close match in four quarters. However, he bounced back with a victory over Schwartzman to secure his spot in the semi-finals.

In the semifinals, Wu faced Ben Shelton (‘The Mountain’), who had topped Group B with wins over Gael Monfils (‘La Monf’), Frances Tiafoe (‘Big Foe’), and Alexander Bublik (‘The Bublik Enemy’). Wu showed his resilience and fighting spirit by coming back from a quarter down to win the match in four quarters.

The final was a rematch between Yibing Wu and Taylor Fritz, who had both impressed with their aggressive and entertaining style of play throughout the UTS.

Fritz started strongly by winning the first quarter 16-11. The second quarter was also dominated by Fritz, who outplayed Wu in the early exchanges and built a 12-4 advantage. Fritz easily won the second quarter 20-7. But Wu recovered in the third quarter and found his groove, saving a match point and winning the quarter by a 12-11 margin.

Wu then continued his momentum and took the fourth quarter 16-9, forcing a sudden death. In the decisive moment, Yibing Wu won the first two points, thereby clinching the match and the title.