‘I was seeing spots’ – third seed Auger-Aliassime stunned in New York

Canadian tennis player Felix Auger-Aliassime, the third seed, suffered a surprising second-round loss at the US Open to unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov. The 26-year-old Auger-Aliassime described himself as "dizzy and seeing spots" after starting to feel unwell early in the match. He said, "After a set and a half, I just couldn’t feel well and was dizzy and seeing spots and couldn’t recover."

This was the highest-ranked player to exit in the men's singles draw so far in New York. Italy's 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti also struggled physically, losing to Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny in a 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 match. The hot and humid conditions in New York, with temperatures reaching 30C, may have contributed to their exits.

Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and fourth seed, withdrew from the tournament in the first round, stating he "despised every moment I spent on the court." Auger-Aliassime had previously reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the French Open this year, but withdrew from the Rogers Cup in Montreal in August due to a back injury.

Khachanov noted, "I am not sure but maybe he had some physical issues and that is part of our sport," wishing Auger-Aliassime a speedy recovery if he is injured.