Australian Open players rush to aid ball girl after she collapses at side of court

Two players at the Australian Open rushed to a ballgirl's aid after she collapsed on the side of the field on Monday.

Spain's Pedro Martinez and Argentina's Federico Delbonis were playing their first-round match on Court 17 at Melbourne Park when the girl suddenly fainted.

Midway through their tiebreaker, Delbonis noticed something going on the other end. Both the players rushed to her help, with Delbonis sprinting from the far side of the court.

The line judges too helped the girl with water before putting her into a nearby chair. The players reportedly stayed right by the girl while she was receiving medical attention.

The girl was checked over by medical tournament medical staff and tended to by a designated ballkids’ nurse. She was later picked up by her parents.

According to 7NEWS.com.au, the girl's condition had improved after resting in the ballkids’ lounge. However, it is not known what caused her to collapse.

The player duo received warm praises on social media for promptly reaching out to the girl.

"Federico Delbonis and Pedro Martinez, take a bow. Didn't hesitate to help a ballkid who'd just collapsed in the heat," tweeted Wide World of Sports, the official broadcaster.

The match eventually resumed and Martinez won the tiebreaker 17-15. He also won the match in four sets.

Australian Open 2022 kick-started on Monday after the chaos surrounding tennis great Novak Djokovic’s visa cancellation was finally settled on Sunday and he was deported from the Pacific nation.

“As the Australian tennis family, we recognise that recent events have been a significant distraction for everyone, and we deeply regret the impact this had on all players,” Tennis Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.

In the women’s draw, there was an early upset as Coco Gauff was defeated in straight sets by world No 110 Qiang Wang. However, there were no such difficulties for defending champion Naomi Osaka, who cruised past Camila Osorio.

In the men’s draw, where a new champion is guaranteed to take the crown, Rafael Nadal staked his early claim, brushing aside Marcos Giron in straight sets.