The French Open has returned, and even with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by injury, the spotlight is still finding new faces — including one player who nearly had a very uncomfortable moment during his debut.
Roland Garros is one of tennis’ four Grand Slams, and every year it offers opportunities not only for the biggest names, but also for newcomers handed wildcard entries. For French wildcard Arthur Gea, 21, his first singles appearance was memorable for reasons he definitely didn’t want.
Gea’s opening-round match against Karen Khachanov took an unexpected turn when he was hit with an urgent stomach problem mid-match.
In footage shared by TNT Sports, Gea approached the chair umpire on Court Suzanne-Lenglen to explain the situation, warning he was about to “s**t on the court”.
Because mid-match bathroom breaks aren’t typically allowed, the umpire initially appeared reluctant, telling him to go ‘after the game’. Gea tried to clarify just how serious it was, and a doctor then hurried over as the situation escalated.
Still struggling, he repeated: “I’m going to s**t on the f*****g court,” but the umpire again said he couldn’t authorize time straight away.
After officials acknowledged Gea’s stomach issues and spoke in French, he was finally allowed to leave the court. During the exchange, one official could be heard saying: “If it’s urgent, he can do that.”
Gea returned and carried on competing, even managing to take the game despite trailing 2-4 in the set.
Not long after, he was seen sprinting off court again in the direction of the bathroom — but at least the immediate crisis appeared to be avoided.
On the scoreboard, though, the day didn’t improve. Gea went on to lose in straight sets as Khachanovat beat him 6-3, 7-6, 6-0.
After the match, the wildcard said he’d already felt unwell earlier in the day, and that things worsened as the match went on, according to the Associated Press.
“It was harder than usual, because I was ill,” he said.
The timing couldn’t have been worse, with France currently in the middle of a heatwave and temperatures reaching 31 degrees Celsius (88 Fahrenheit), while players spend hours grinding through matches.
Add in the pressure of playing a first home Grand Slam, and it’s easy to see how the day got away from him.
Hopefully, next year’s tournament brings Gea a far smoother debut story.