Altug Celikbilek almost misplaced his life after collapsing on the court docket in 2024.
Altug Celikbilek virtually died after collapsing on the court docket throughout a tennis match (Picture: Getty)
A tennis star has opened up on a terrifying near-death expertise that turned his life the wrong way up on a day like some other. Altug Celikbilek, who reached a career-high rating of 154 4 years in the past, collapsed on the court docket throughout a match in opposition to fellow Turkish participant Yanki Erel in 2024. He was rushed to hospital, the place he remained unconscious for 13 days and got here very near shedding his life.
It turned out that Celikbilek had a mind tumour, which had beforehand gone undetected and almost price him the final word value. It was efficiently eliminated, however the 29-year-old now suffers from double imaginative and prescient and hasn’t returned to tennis since that fateful day. Maybe probably the most horrifying side of all the ordeal is that it began with a easy headache.
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Talking to Ubitennis, Celikbilek recalled: “For me, it was a totally regular day. I didn’t have any adverse emotions. It was a match day like some other.
“I awakened, had breakfast after which went to the membership to heat up. After that, I went out onto the court docket to play the match and the whole lot was continuing usually.
“Throughout the match, I began to get a headache while warming up. Within the first sport, the headache acquired a lot worse. At that time, I needed to cease the match after two or three video games, so I left the court docket.
“The physios had been there and tried to do one thing to ease the headache, however there wasn’t a lot they may do. I believed it was only a easy headache. So I took the shuttle and went to the resort to relaxation.
“After vomiting on the shuttle, I one way or the other made it to the resort after which I don’t bear in mind in any respect what occurred subsequent, till I awakened in Istanbul.
“I awakened, I believe 13 days later, in a hospital in Istanbul. To be trustworthy, I don’t bear in mind how I felt. It was as if I’d had an extended sleep and woken up.
“Just a few hours handed and I attempted to stand up or do what I wanted to do at that second, and that’s once I began to really feel higher.
Celikbilek spent 13 days in a coma and suffers with double imaginative and prescient to today (Picture: Getty)
“There was nonetheless one thing flawed, although, as a result of my eyes weren’t in the proper place. It was resulting from double imaginative and prescient, which I nonetheless have now. I’d additionally utterly misplaced my steadiness.
“What’s extra, as I’d been in hospital for 13 days, I’d misplaced muscle tone all through my physique, so it was fairly a tough scenario, nevertheless it wasn’t as if I felt I used to be about to die, which is definitely what occurred.”
Almost two years on from that fateful day, Celikbilek has a four-month-old daughter and a spouse, Eliessa, who has at all times been by his aspect.
“My household has been completely very important to me ever since I used to be in hospital in Tunisia,” he added. “All of them got here. My associates and coaches from Istanbul got here too. I believe my supervisor, who lives in Germany, additionally got here from Istanbul.
“There have been a lot of individuals there; my Istanbul membership, Enka Sport Membership, and the Turkish Tennis Federation had been there too. The Turkish authorities really helped me an important deal as effectively.
“There have been most likely a lot of different individuals there, however throughout these 13 days I simply slept, so I don’t know and I don’t bear in mind who was there for me.
“But when I’ve to speak about my household throughout that point, my girlfriend, who’s now my spouse and the mom of my little woman, was there from begin to end.
“My mum and pop had been there each single second too, so I felt their assist and so they helped me lots. I nonetheless really feel it now.”
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