Turkish tennis player Altug Celikbilek reportedly suffered a brain hemorrhage during a scary scene when he collapsed on the court and retired just one game into his Monastir semifinal match.
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After clinching three straight-set wins, the world No. 451 was slated to take on 523rd-ranked Yanki Erel at the Tunisian ITF event.
In the opening game of the all-Turkish semifinal, top-seeded Celikbilek got easily broken after winning only one point. Then, the 28-year-old collapsed - the medics at the scene instantly intervened - and he was rushed to the hospital.
According to Corriere Dello Sport, there it was determined that a brain hemorrhage was the cause and that he was being evaluated for transportation to Turkey for surgical procedure.
The Turkish Tennis Federation confirmed that their player was "closely monitored" and they along with the Tunisian Embassy were doing everything to support the 28-year-old.
"The health condition of our national athlete Altug Celikbilek, who fell ill during a match at the M15 Monastir tournament held in Tunisia, is being closely monitored by our Federation and the Tunisian Embassy, and all necessary support is being provided to our athlete and his family. We wish our athlete a speedy recovery," the Turkish Tennis Federation said in a statement over the weekend.
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A former Turkish player provides an update on Celikbilek
On Monday, ex-Turkish WTA player Ipek Senoglu revealed that the world No. 451 showed some signs of improvement.
"This morning the doctor examined Altug, gave him good news and now his mother is inside, they are talking a little bit. He has different tests and check-ups today, hopefully good news will come from them as well," Senoglu wrote on X.
This year, Celikbilek competed mostly on the ITF level and made a couple of finals there and won one title.
During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the Turk won three Challenger titles and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 154 in the world.
