Serena with a disorientation scare in doubles

L

LanceStern

Professional
It was just on the sidelines of Yahoo tennis but now it's front page.
If you watch the (honestly somewhat disturbing) videos, during warm-up Serena has trouble tossing the ball, walking, catching balls tossed to her and even just picking the ball up off the floor!

It was a scary situation on Tuesday at Wimbledon, as Serena Williams and sister Venus took the court for their second-round doubles match at Wimbledon, only to retire after just three games because of some disorientation from Serena.

As you can see in this clip, Serena struggled in her warmup for the match, mishandling balls and looking totally out of it, and that continued as the match was expected to begin.

...

The Williams sisters dropped the opening game, but it was when Serena was set to serve that you could really see something was bothering her.

Check out her first attempt at a serve in the match on Court No. 1. (You will have to go to the Yahoo source article below to see their embedded clip of her HORRIBLE serve)
Click to expand...


UPDATE: Wimbledon officials say she's suffering from a "viral illness" (source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/strange-scene-wimbledon-dizzy-disoriented-161149618.html)

Hope you get better Serena! That looks like one of those diabetes-induced disorientations or something like that
 
Last edited:
AngieB

AngieB

Banned
Dear Lord,

Please heal Serena Williams in her time of need and protect her family.

Amen

AngieB
 
S

Scorch

Rookie
Migraine? Would explain the doctor talking about not being able to see the ball. I've had them and they suck.
 
Mr.Lob

Mr.Lob

G.O.A.T.
Someone from Serenas team, or Venus, should have stepped in to stop the match after the first serve. Not a Serena fan, but you don't let a great champion stagger around like a drunk like that.
 
ibbi

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
I can't believe she even went/was allowed to go out on court, considering she was clearly out of it even during the warm up. Venus was holding her hand, and leading her to the chair at the changeovers, so it's not like she was unaware of the fact something was seriously wrong. Great big sistering, V.
 
ruerooo

ruerooo

Legend
Mr.Lob said:
Someone from Serenas team, or Venus, should have stepped in to stop the match after the first serve. Not a Serena fan, but you don't let a great champion stagger around like a drunk like that.
Click to expand...

Apparently, the umpire did get down from his chair to speak to her. They don't generally do that.

(It wasn't after the first serve, though. And you know about the Bystander Effect. Generally people aren't going to step in unless they're absolutely sure something is really wrong. I'm one of those risk-takers who will step in ahead of time, but I usually get chided for it after the fact, and most people just aren't like that. They're risk-averse. In part because they don't want to risk doing any greater harm if they're not sure what's going on.)
 
Topspin_80

Topspin_80

Hall of Fame
bjsnider said:
Extremely bizarre incident, hard to explain.
Click to expand...

Serena is a drama queen.

I just don't buy anything that happened on that court.

Serena is just full of it, and is trying to justify her loss.

When Serena lost to Ivanovic earlier this year, she said she had back pain, and she was missing shots she didn't miss since the 80s

Then the French open, now Wimbledon, why all these losses??

Hey, if you feel as bad as she was trying to make us believe, you just don't play.

If you can hardly walk, you don't go to play tennis.

So I don't buy any of her funky acting.
 
ibbi

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
Topspin_80 said:
Serena is a drama queen.

I just don't buy anything that happened on that court.

Serena is just full of it, and is trying to justify her loss.

When Serena lost to Ivanovic earlier this year, she said she had back pain, and she was missing shots she didn't miss since the 80s

Then the French open, now Wimbledon, why all these losses??

Hey, if you feel as bad as she was trying to make us believe, you just don't play.

If you can hardly walk, you don't go to play tennis.

So I don't buy any of her funky acting.
Click to expand...
LOL

Did you see her out there? If she was that good an actress, Brett Ratner would have made something out of her all those years ago.
 
Vcore89

Vcore89

Talk Tennis Guru
Evidently, there is something wrong with Serena that she isn't telling just yet. How else would it explain how she opined at winning just one more slam (or slam 18)? My guess would be, she'll prepare for the USO and give it all for one last hurrah then announce her retirement.
 
W

worldtennis

New User
Never like to see or hear health scares as such...vertigo, migrane, heat, exhaustion, doubtful a break up would present itself like this...let's see how she moves forward. 2014 has been a scratch fest at best for her.
 
yemenmocha

yemenmocha

Professional
Topspin_80 said:
Serena is a drama queen.

I just don't buy anything that happened on that court.

Serena is just full of it, and is trying to justify her loss.

When Serena lost to Ivanovic earlier this year, she said she had back pain, and she was missing shots she didn't miss since the 80s

Then the French open, now Wimbledon, why all these losses??

Hey, if you feel as bad as she was trying to make us believe, you just don't play.

If you can hardly walk, you don't go to play tennis.

So I don't buy any of her funky acting.
Click to expand...
Right on the mark. Her past actions just beg for this interpretation.
 
OrangePower

OrangePower

Legend
I posted this on another thread:

Most likely it's vestibular neuritis - viral infection of the inner ear that affects balance and causes dizziness and in more severe cases vertigo.
 
ibbi

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
OrangePower said:
I posted this on another thread:

Most likely it's vestibular neuritis - viral infection of the inner ear that affects balance and causes dizziness and in more severe cases vertigo.
Click to expand...
That would make sense. Alicia Molik had that, and it kept her out for the better part of a year.
 
Topspin_80

Topspin_80

Hall of Fame
ibbi said:
LOL

Did you see her out there? If she was that good an actress, Brett Ratner would have made something out of her all those years ago.
Click to expand...

Are you kidding me?

Just take a look of this clip.

At 38 secs you can see the white lady that is Serena's mother friend already at ground level with the supervisor.

Serena is double faulting, then Venus goes to Serena and said something to her, at 1:38 look at Venus face, she is laughing.

Now, is after these 2 facts you don't think there is something funny afoot, then you have a problem.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZeAQRhb66U
 
pame

pame

Hall of Fame
Topspin_80 said:
Are you kidding me?

Just take a look of this clip.

At 38 secs you can see the white lady that is Serena's mother friend already at ground level with the supervisor.

Serena is double faulting, then Venus goes to Serena and said something to her, at 1:38 look at Venus face, she is laughing.

Now, is after these 2 facts you don't think there is something funny afoot, then you have a problem.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZeAQRhb66U
Click to expand...

My goodness - if Serena is an actress, you are a great writer, with spectacular creativity (or was that just venomous bile?)
 
Mr.Lob

Mr.Lob

G.O.A.T.
Taking a guess on why she went out on that court today... she knew going in that this would be her last Wimbledon before retiring after the US Open. Serena wanted to try to make her last appearance at Wimbledon memorable. Unfortunately it's memorable for all the wrong reasons.
 
M

merwy

G.O.A.T.
OrangePower said:
I posted this on another thread:

Most likely it's vestibular neuritis - viral infection of the inner ear that affects balance and causes dizziness and in more severe cases vertigo.
Click to expand...

Good one, but it's pretty rare. How did she manage to get that? I guess it could be some vestibular problem since she appeared dissy. But migraine or something like that also comes to mind.

But it's also interesting to consider the possibility of medicine-/drug abuse.. Maybe she popped a few vicodins after her singles loss?;)

Anyway, hope she feels better soon. If it's just a viral infection it shouldn't take too long.
 
M

merwy

G.O.A.T.
Topspin_80 said:
Are you kidding me?

Just take a look of this clip.

At 38 secs you can see the white lady that is Serena's mother friend already at ground level with the supervisor.

Serena is double faulting, then Venus goes to Serena and said something to her, at 1:38 look at Venus face, she is laughing.

Now, is after these 2 facts you don't think there is something funny afoot, then you have a problem.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZeAQRhb66U
Click to expand...

Well, if Serena faked all of that just to have an excuse for her loss to Cornet, she has some huge psychological issues. But I just rewatched it and no way she faked all of those double faults and missed ball catches.
 
OrangePower

OrangePower

Legend
merwy said:
Good one, but it's pretty rare. How did she manage to get that?
Click to expand...
Could result as an after-effect of another infection (such as cold or flu); also could appear without any previous sign of infection. Typically will clear up in a week or so, so if it is that, she should be over it quickly enough.

bjsnider said:
Do you go out and try to play tennis with that issue?
Click to expand...
You might not realize what you have and how disorienting the effects are. Also the effects get worse as your level of physical activity rises. So at rest it might not seem bad, as you start to warm up you would feel more balance issues, and then at full blast you could get completely disoriented.

I'm just speculating here have no idea what her diagnosis is, but many are quick to jump to negative conclusions.
 
JoelDali

JoelDali

Talk Tennis Guru
She probably tested positive for GOATness and was scared of impending WTA trial where Billie Jean will most likely spray her down with cosmic sporting truths.

I was banned from 4.5 flex league for the same test and subsequently lost all sponsorships.
 
R

Rjtennis

Hall of Fame
ibbi said:
LOL

Did you see her out there? If she was that good an actress, Brett Ratner would have made something out of her all those years ago.
Click to expand...

No kidding..jk. That was no acting!!!

I bet you that she took some kind of medication that messed her up.
 
D

drewski711

New User
Yeah-she wasn't faking that

I've never been a fan of the Williams sisters as I have been bothered by their excuses when they lose. As a physician, however, watching Serena scared the crap out of me today. I think Orange Power got the diagnosis right since she wasn't having any other neurologic symptoms. I'll be surprised, however, if she doesn't get an MRI and some other tests done especially in light of the problems her sister has. I don' t think there's any way she could fake that and I do hope for her speedy recovery.
 
veroniquem

veroniquem

Bionic Poster
Whatever it was, I've never seen anything like it. Not a fake for sure. The behavior was way too bizarre to be something anyone could think of faking.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
drewski711 said:
I've never been a fan of the Williams sisters as I have been bothered by their excuses when they lose. As a physician, however, watching Serena scared the crap out of me today. I think Orange Power got the diagnosis right since she wasn't having any other neurologic symptoms. I'll be surprised, however, if she doesn't get an MRI and some other tests done especially in light of the problems her sister has. I don' t think there's any way she could fake that and I do hope for her speedy recovery.
Click to expand...

My wife had Menier's syndrome once. We were told no cause, no known cure, idiopathic disease. It just went away by itself.

The symptoms were vertigo and the feeling that the surroundings are spinning when lying down. She could not stand upright. I didn't get the impression of vertigo here. But then I am not a doctor.
 
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