An eventful day at Wimbledon on Thursday was marred by a freak injury that produced a frightening on-court scene.
American Bethanie Mattek-Sands was taking on Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in a second-round singles match when Mattek-Sands crumpled to the grass while trying to return a volley.
The announcers and those in attendance didn’t appear to realize how serious the injury was — until Mattek-Sands started screaming for help with frightening urgency.
“Someone help me, please!” Mattek-Sands could be heard screaming in the rather disturbing audio. Cristea also was visibly shaken upon seeing her opponent’s injury and frantically signaled for help.
Medics quickly came to Mattek-Sands’ assistance, taking the 32-year-old Minnesota native away on a stretcher. The severity of her injury was unknown as of Thursday afternoon, but it’s safe to say it was very serious.
Some accused the Wimbledon medical team of not reacting quickly enough to Mattek-Sands’ injury. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which hosts Wimbledon, responded to those accusations in a statement.
Thumbnail photo via Susan Mullane/USA TODAY Sports Images
