"I suffered a heatstroke"- Jelena Ostapenko issues emotional apology after joining Emma Raducanu in retiring mid-match amid brutal Wuhan conditions

Jelena Ostapenko has issued an apology to her fans after withdrawing from the Wuhan Open. The Latvian threw in the towel against Sorana Cirstea in the first round and was eliminated 6-0, 2-1 (RET).

Ostapenko has been out of form in the last few months. She entered Wuhan after early exits in New York, Guadalajara, and Beijing this year.

The former Grand Slam champion announced on social media that she withdrew from Wuhan after suffering a heatstroke in the difficult playing conditions. She also thanked her Chinese fans on tour.

"It was a tough day - I suffered a heat stroke today... Thank you, China, for the atmosphere, emotions, and incredible energy from the crowd. I'm truly sorry that I had to finish the match this way. Thank you to all my Chinese fans- I'll be back stronger next time," Jelena Ostapenko said

Jelena Ostapenko shares an update on Instagram - Image Source: @jelena.ostapenko Instagram

Jelena Ostapenko struggled to get on the board against Cirstea in the first round. She defeated the Romanian during their last encounter in Adelaide (2024), but couldn't complete her match in Wuhan.

Apart from Ostapneko, Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu have also slammed the weather conditions in China. Both players expressed their frustration in multiple posts via social media.

Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu at the Wuhan Open - Image Source: @Swiatek & @Raducanu Instagram

Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu also entered the qualifiers in Wuhan, but lost in the second round. She felt the challenging conditions on court were as good as playing tennis in a sauna:

"Wuhan weather rly said: go play tennis in a sauna 😭 all love but holaayyyyy," Bianca Andreescu said

Bianca Andreescu shares an update in the Wuhan Open - Image Source: @Andreescu Instagram

Andreescu has also entered the doubles event in Wuhan alongside Yuan Yue. The duo will face Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the second round.

Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune echo Jelena Ostapenko’s frustration over tough weather conditions in China

Djokovic receives help in the 2025 Shanghai Rolex Masters - Day 9 - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune joined Jelena Ostapenko in criticizing the harsh weather conditions in China. Both players are currently competing in the Shanghai Masters this week.

Rune was forced to see a doctor during his fourth-round encounter against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The Dane felt players were taking their health for granted amid challenging conditions in Shanghai.

"Do you want a player to die on the court? We can handle a certain amount of heat because we’re strong and mentally strong as well, but there is always a limit. It’s also important to take care of your health. We need to survive," Holger Rune said via BBC

Former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic also sympathized with the players in the Shanghai Masters. He called the weather conditions brutal at the Masters 1000 event on tour.

"It’s the same for every player out on the court, but it’s brutal. It’s brutal when you have over 80 percent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with heat, with sun, it’s even more brutal," Novak Djokovic said via ESPN.

Djokovic and Rune are through to the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters. The Serb will take on Zizou Bergs, and Rune will face Valentin Vacherot on Thursday.

Edited by Aman Mohamed