Chilean tennis star Cristian Garin decided not to continue playing after a shocking incident involving his opponent, Zizou Bergs, during a Davis Cup match in Belgium.

In a heated singles match, Bergs accidentally hit Garin in the face while jumping for a shot, leading to Garin needing medical attention. Despite Bergs’ immediate apology and Garin being cleared to play on, a code violation was given to Bergs for unsportsmanlike behavior.

Chile demanded Bergs’ disqualification, but instead, Garin received three consecutive time violations for refusing to play, resulting in a game penalty. This handed Bergs a close win at 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, ultimately clinching the tie for Chile with a final score of 3-1.

In a heated exchange with the umpire, Garin said: “You don’t know what it’s like to get hit in the face after playing two and a half hours in this damn match. I’m not going to play.

“You don’t have the guts to disqualify him, but you’ll disqualify me? I’ve never experienced something like this before. I was knocked out; I fainted.”

In a surprising twist of fate, this chaotic outcome saw Chile knocked out of the tournament.

At a heated press conference, Garin stood by his claim of having lost consciousness and lambasted the umpire for being ‘reckless and uncaring’ in urging him to resume play.

“I lost consciousness for three seconds,” he explained, his voice tinged with frustration. “I fainted and didn’t fully grasp the situation.

“I would have preferred to finish the match on my terms, but they forced me to play while I was confused and dizzy.

“What transpired was incredibly imprudent and insensitive. I’m at a loss for words to describe it.

“I’ve cherished this sport since birth and have never seen anything quite like it. I feel devastated, and I deeply regret that the umpire insisted I play.”

Garin took to Instagram to express his outrage post-match, writing, “So the player is injured and can’t continue to play, yet we act as if nothing is wrong. Wow, what a beautiful world and what a great mentality.”

Tennis fans were left shocked at the indicent, with one writing on X, “The most blatant default ever witnessed and not called.”

Another added, “The umpire made a terrible decision punishing Garin (and Chile) for an easily preventable error by Bergs. You simply don’t leap like that without ensuring the coast is clear.”

An International Tennis Federation statement said, “This was a rare, unfortunate, and very delicate circumstance. Everyone involved, including the independent doctor, acted with due diligence per established rules and procedures.

“We comprehend the emotions tied to this unusual incident, but the final decision was reached after careful consideration of all the unique facts and circumstances involved.”

Chile’s Olympic committee voiced their shock and disbelief, committing to back the Chilean tennis federation in seeking justice for this disgraceful international event.

If Bergs had been disqualified as Chile wished, the tie would have boiled down to a critical match between star player Nicolas Jarry and Belgian youngster Alexander Blockx.

However, it’s Belgium who will journey to Australia in September to face Lleyton Hewitt’s squad, which just clinched a win over Sweden, for their first home tie in three years in what’s known as the ‘World Cup of men’s tennis.’

With Alex de Minaur, ranked world No. 8, on their side, Australia stands as strong favorites going into the qualifiers, facing off against a Belgian team captained by Bergs, ranked No. 60, and the promising 19-year-old Blockx at No. 146.

Jannik Sinner has decided to pull out of his upcoming tournament following his Australian Open victory, needing time to rest after an intense run in Melbourne.

The young Italian star convincingly defeated Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, securing his title for the second consecutive year in straight sets.

Sinner was set to compete next at the Rotterdam Open, where he was the defending champion from 2024. However, he has officially withdrawn from the competition.

In a statement, Sinner said: “After consulting with my team we had to take the difficult decision to withdraw from the ABN AMRO Open. My body needs time to rest after the long run in Australia.

“I have great memories from winning the title in front of amazing crowds at Rotterdam Ahoy last year and hope to be back there soon.”

Tournament director Richard Krajicek said it was a ‘great shame’ that Sinner will not be competing at the event, which is due to begin this weekend.

“The Australian Open has been long and tough for Jannik,” said Krajicek. “It is a great shame for both him and us that his efforts are preventing him from participating in Rotterdam.”

Grigor Dimitrov has also withdrawn from the tournament, leading to Jakub Mensik and Roberto Bautista Agut stepping in to occupy the open slots in the roster.

With Sinner out, Carlos Alcaraz steps up as the new top seed at the Rotterdam Open. He’ll be accompanied by players like Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, and Andrey Rublev, along with past winners Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stan Wawrinka.

Tournament director Krajicek stressed the significance of maintaining a robust lineup to keep the competition’s quality high, even when leading players decide to withdraw.

He said: “An important reason to set up a broad line-up with many top players is the fact that you can be confronted with a withdrawal. We are convinced that we will experience a great week of tennis with the players that will be present.”

Andy Murray is set to discuss his coaching role with Novak Djokovic following the latter’s withdrawal from the Australian Open semi-finals due to a muscle tear he sustained during his victory over Carlos Alcaraz.

Murray joined Djokovic’s coaching staff in November in preparation for the season’s first Grand Slam. The 10-time Australian Open champion was forced to retire from his match against Alex Zverev due to the injury.

Djokovic is currently tied with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles at 24, and Wimbledon later this year represents his best opportunity to surpass that record.

No decisions have been made yet regarding Murray and Djokovic continuing their coaching partnership beyond the Australian Open.

And Murray said: “Me and Novak agreed that after the tournament we would speak. We’ll do that.”

Djokovic added: “I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me. You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step.

“We are still hotheaded and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are. I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we’ll have a chat.”

Djokovic unsure of Murray partnership after Melbourne exit

The 10-time Melbourne Park champion had just lost the first-set tiebreak to Alexander Zverev when he decided to end the match, unable to continue playing.

Djokovic had enlisted the help of five-time Melbourne Park finalist Murray in his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title, which seemed to be working as he outsmarted Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, despite the injury.
Novak Djokovic, who was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open semi-finals on Friday due to a thigh muscle tear, has not made any commitments regarding a future coaching relationship with Andy Murray.

The 10-time champion at Melbourne Park was trailing after losing the first-set tiebreak to Alexander Zverev when he decided to retire from the match due to his inability to continue.

Djokovic had brought on board five-time finalist at Melbourne Park, Andy Murray, to assist him in his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title. Their collaboration appeared effective as he managed to outplay Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, even while nursing an injury.

“You know, we both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about the future steps. We are so fresh off the court.

“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me. You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step.”

“Djokovic suggested that it would be better to wait for the emotions to settle before making any decisions, as they were still “hot-headed and disappointed” after the dramatic end to his tournament.”

“We are still hot-headed and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are,” said Djokovic.

“I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we’ll have a chat.”