- Ball girl collapses during opening ceremony
- The incident took place on live TV
A ball girl carrying a flag fainted during the Australian Open opening ceremony on Sunday morning, likely due to hot and muggy conditions.
The terrifying moment took place at Melbourne Park as the ball boy carried the Aboriginal flag as a guard of honor behind Australian tennis great John Newcombe.
In the clip, Newcombe can be seen talking to the camera as a flag hits the deck behind him.
There were delays in proceedings after officials rushed to help the youngster before wheeling her away in a wheelchair.
A spokesperson for the event told reporters that the ball girl is “absolutely fine.”
A short time later, the heavens opened and rain fell, halting play on the outdoor courts.
A ball girl fainted during the opening ceremony of the Australian Open
An Australian Open spokesperson told reporters the ball girl is “absolutely fine.”
“What you’ll find on the surface are actually the lines that are the smoothest,” John Millman said in commentary for Nine.
“That’s a different kind of paint they use to make those white lines. That Melbourne sign at the back of the field… it’s getting really slippery too.
‘There is only one surface you can continue to play on in this kind of rain and that is the Roland-Garros courts at the French Open.’
The rain fell as local hope Omar Jasika threatened to turn the tide against Hugo Gaston.
The Frenchman Gaston swept through the first set 6-2.
But 27-year-old wildcard Jasika created six break point chances – none of which he could convert – in the second game of the second set, before play was suspended due to rain on Sunday and the pair were left at deuce.
The action continued under closed roofs on the three main show tracks.
Jasika rose to prominence in 2014 when he became the first player in 28 years to win the boys’ singles and doubles titles at the US Open.
Rain halted play on the outdoor courts early on the first day of the Australian Open
The Australian has won just one of his four previous Grand Slam main draw matches – and that was way back at the 2016 Australian Open.
Gaston lost his only previous clash with a local at the Australian Open, beating Christopher O’Connell in the opening round in 2022.
Jasika is one of five Australians in action at Melbourne Park on day one, along with Adam Walton, Aleksandar Vukic, Li Tu and Daria Saville.
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus begins her title defense on Sunday evening at Rod Laver Arena against American Sloane Stephens, the winner of the 2017 US Open title.
Other big names in action on the first day include men’s number 2 Alexander Zverev from Germany and sixth-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud.