Carlos Alcaraz receives surprise emotional message from Wimbledon heat attack survivor's daughter after match delay

Carlos Alcaraz rushed to the help of an elderly fan who fell ill and collapsed while watching the defending Wimbledon champion's first-round match at the grass Major this year. Later, the fan's daughter graciously thanked the Spaniard via an emotional message.

On Monday, June 30, Alcaraz began his Wimbledon title defense, avoiding a massive upset with a thrilling five-set win over 38-year-old Fabio Fognini. Concerns for the fan surfaced when the Spaniard led the Italian 3-0 in the fifth set. The fan's illness and subsequent collapse stemmed from the incredibly uncomfortable heat on the day. In fact, it was the hottest opening day of main draw action in the history of the iconic event.

Carlos Alcaraz helped the fan out with a bottle of water, and play was stopped for over 15 minutes. A few hours after the conclusion of the match on Centre Court, the fan's daughter took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank the ATP No. 2 and five-time Major champion, writing:

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

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After sealing his win over Fognini and progressing to the second round, Alcaraz himself spoke up about how the heat can adversely affect both the players on the court as well as supporters in the stands.

"Fans are not used to having this weather" - Carlos Alcaraz on Wimbledon 2025 Day 1 conditions

Following his 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory against Fabio Fognini, Carlos Alcaraz interacted with reporters at a post-match press conference. Here, the Spaniard shared his thoughts on the 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) temperature that made conditions uncomfortable for both players and fans on Day 1 of this year's Wimbledon Championships.

"I think battling the heat is one of the things that we have to do. Probably the match can't be in another way, because of the heat. I think we have to deal with it in the best way possible. Obviously for the fans, and even here in London, they are not used to having this weather. Sitting five hours in the stand without moving, the sun hitting, I think could be really difficult to deal with for the spectators."

Up next for the former No. 1 at SW19 is a second-round clash against 21-year-old home hope and qualifier Oliver Tarvet.

About the author

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

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Edited by Sudipto Pati