Former Australian player Alicia Molik was well-known for her skills with a tennis racket. Recently, she showed her compassionate side too, as she played the savior. Molik, who is now the new director of Adelaide International, got a bit of a scare during her interview.
Alicia was answering questions at a press conference when something very unfortunate was caught on live TV. A loud thud was heard on camera. To everyone’s horror, a young girl, standing just behind Molik and the others, collapsed on the court. The former player was quick to act and rushed to the girl to help her.
Alicia gave the young girl, named Jasmine, first aid and rolled her on her side to clear her airways. She even stayed by Jasmine’s side till the girl was taken away to a hospital.
Alicia Molik has sprung into action, rushing to help a young girl who collapsed as the South Aussie tennis legend was unveiled as the new tournament director of the Adelaide International. #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/ntApKAZxWI
— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) November 30, 2023
The video of this incident has picked up momentum on social media since it happened. Many users have lauded Molik for her quick thinking and for potentially saving the girl’s life.
On the other hand, many have wondered why so many players have started to collapse. One popular conspiracy theory among a group of fans is the vaccine. A lot of them think that since people were compelled to take the jab, the number of instances of players collapsing has shot up. Here are a few reactions to the incident.
Tennis star Alicia Molik rushes to save a young girl who collapses on court in #Adelaide.
What could be causing so many sports players to collapse live on air since 2021?
Could the experimental #vaccines with no long term safety data have anything to do with this? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/EdrIykxvxc
— Space Pirate 🏴☠️ (@SpacePirate144) December 1, 2023
Yikes! She looks like she is unconscious.
Young athletic girls shouldn’t be fainting on court. Sudden and unexpected. Hope she gets the proper medical help she needs.— Natasha M (@Mishtrash) December 1, 2023
It is reported that the young girl had been playing tennis for a couple of hours before the collapse. This incident has once again shed light on the rising cases of collapse on the court.
The curious case of players collapsing on the court
Tennis is a grueling sport, and the season is long. It takes a lot for players to rest and recover, and it still might feel insufficient. As the sport has become more competitive, playing through different weather conditions takes a toll on their bodies.
Jack Draper, the rising talent from Great Britain, collapsed in 2021 when he was playing at the Miami Open. Draper collapsed when he was trying to hit the ball against Mikhail Kukushkin. The young player had contracted COVID, and many believed it was due to the long-term effects of the virus.
Unfortunately Wu Yibing has been forced to retire, sending Yosuke Watanuki through, 1-4 RET.
Get well soon, Yibing 🙏#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/VzTivYXkRk
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 31, 2023
Wu Yibing is another player who collapsed on the court at the Mubadala Citi DC Open. He had to eventually retire from the match. Yibing had also been on the verge of collapse at Wimbledon earlier this year.
Unfortunately, many players cannot adapt to changing conditions quickly enough. The end result is that they collapse if they push through exhaustion or weather conditions.