World No.1 doubles player Bethanie Mattek-Sands will miss at least the start of the North American hard-court swing after suffering a serious knee injury on Thursday.
The American was playing her third round match at Wimbledon against Sorana Cirstea. At the start of the third set, she fell onto the floor after her knee gave way. Onlookers looked in shock as Mattek-Sands scream in pain. She spent roughly 15 minutes on the ground, receiving painkillers from medical staff, before being carried away from the court and taken to hospital.
“All I remember was hearing this ‘pop’ in my leg and everything was kind of slow after that. It was just this loud ‘pop,’” Mattek-Sands recounted in a Facebook live broadcast on Saturday.
“I just remember trying to take a step, my leg not being able to hold me, and I just went down. I remember my knee just feeling really tight and I took a look at it and something was wrong. … Something looked so wrong about it,” she said. “And I knew it was either dislocated or broken. I think at that point, I kind of freaked out.”
During what was an emotional video, Mattek-Sands confirmed what the exact injury is and the severity of it. Tests have found that she dislocated her right kneecap and also ruptured her patella tendon. As a result, she will undergo surgery to correct the injury.
“I’m going to be needing surgery, so I will be out for a while. But I wanted to keep you guys updates because all of your messages have been really inspiring.” She said.
The American has received massive support from both fans and fellow players. Jack Sock, who won gold in the 2016 Olympic mixed doubles competition with Mattek-Sands, wrote her name on his shoes in a touching tribute.
Cirstea, who witness the horrific injury, has been praised by the 32-year-old. In the aftermath of the incident, the Romanian went over to the other side of the court to console her opponent as she screamed in pain. She has since visited her in hospital along with Indian player Sania Mirza.
“We’re all competitors on tour, and yet so many of the girls are my friends. And I think in that moment, Sorana was there as my friend,” Mattek-Sands said. “It didn’t really matter we were in the middle of a match. And it means a lot to me. She’s an amazing person.”
Mattek-Sands has vowed to return to the court. She will next travel to New York to have further discussions with doctors. It is currently unclear as to when the surgery will take place and how long she will be out of action for.
