by Lorenzo Nicolao
Frenchman Arthur Cazaux feels ill during the qualifiers for the Miami tournament. The opponent, his compatriot Mayot, remains immobile: «But then, when I understood, I went to him»
Arthur Cazaux perhaps couldn’t resist the humid heat of Miami when he began to feel faint in the third set of Florida’s qualifying match for the Masters 1000 against his French compatriot Harold Mayot.
Leading 2-1 in the third set, the 21-year-old number 74 in the ATP ranking (beaten at the ATP Challenger 175 in Phoenix by Matteo Berrettini in recent days), had just positioned himself to return the serve, when he collapsed due to a illness. Fright and great concern for the fans who saw the player almost suddenly lose consciousness, remaining lying on the concrete. The tennis player was immediately helped, with the medical staff intervening when the player was still conscious, semi-conscious perhaps due to a drop in sugar levels or sunstroke suffered on the concrete (in Miami the thermometer measured over 30 degrees, with at least the 70% humidity). Cazaux had already suffered some cramps at the beginning of the set, but the sudden illness forced the tennis player to leave the court in a wheelchair, taken to the infirmary and shortly afterwards to the nearest hospital for a more thorough examination, in order to exclude any another hypothesis. His withdrawal from the qualifying tournament was inevitable, despite an excellent start to the season, with his opponent instead advancing in the tournament.
Worrying scenes in Miami. Cazaux faints and is forced to retire.
Let’s hope it’s nothing serious. pic.twitter.com/Um8lr0soP6— TeIegrammiDiTennis (@TelDiTen) March 18, 2024
Mayot immobile and inundated with criticism
A lot of criticism has been directed at Mayot in recent hours on social media and in the media, with the 141st in the world also being contested by the fans of the tournament, so much so that he will now have to deal with a hostile environment. The object of the reproaches was in particular his behavior shortly after the collapse of his rival, who was also his compatriot and friend. Mayot remained in his own half of the pitch, walking slowly while Cazaux received first aid, only coming closer when his opponent was forced to leave the pitch in a wheelchair. The absence of solidarity and empathy is judged very negatively in an environment such as tennis, where a climate of cohesion and mutual understanding always stands out among the players, even during more competitive matches and in which the stakes are high (Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are an example). Many users posted the video on social media in which Cazaux collapsed to the ground, losing support from his left leg and found himself lying in a state of semi-consciousness, while Mayot remained calmly at the bottom of his own half of the pitch, walking around with indifference.
Mayot’s version
The player who will now face the Belgian David Goffin (a former top 10 player who has fallen to 106th position in the rankings in recent months), in the match that qualifies for access to the main draw of the tournament, did not let too much time pass before responding to the accusations. «Stop making false controversies over nothing – the Frenchman replied angrily via social media – He had cramps and I didn’t see him fall, so when I noticed that he was lying down I thought it was due to a muscle problem. I only got worried when I realized it was an illness, so I joined him in his half of the pitch.” Then he added: «I did my best to help him. There has always been respect and friendship between us. I hope it’s nothing serious and I wish him a speedy recovery.” Mayot then published several frames on his X profile in which he highlights how, once he understood gravity, he moved to reach Cazaux. Images which, however, do not calm the controversy raised by many fans. Before the player approached and realized the condition of his rival, they pointed out, much more than a few moments passed.
This was the reality when I realized it was serious. https://t.co/PA4CNpvikd
— Harold Mayot (@HaroldMayot1) March 18, 2024
Corriere della Sera is also on Whatsapp. It’s enough click here to subscribe to the channel and always be updated.
March 19, 2024 (modified March 19, 2024 | 11:46)
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED