Carlos Alcaraz offered his water bottle to a spectator who fell ill during his opening Wimbledon match – causing the match to be stopped briefly.
The reigning men’s singles champion was taken to a deciding fifth set by Fabio Fognini and led 3-0 before play was paused.
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As he made his way to the baseline for the fourth game, he appeared to notice a commotion in the crowd on Centre Court.
Stewards and medics were seen tending to a spectator who seemed to take a turn.
Alcaraz ran over to his equipment and, in a classy gesture, picked up a bottle of water and ran back over to pass it onto the fan.
One of the ball girls had another bottle in hand, with the crowd then applauding the pair as they offered their help.
Paramedics were eventually able to carry the stricken fan on a chair as the 15-minute pause in play came to an end.
Alcaraz then emerged victorious against Fognini by winning 7-5 6-7 [5-7] 7-5 2-6 6-1.
He will face world Oliver Tarvet, who is world no. 733 and making his debut at a Grand Slam, in the second round.
It remains unclear why the spectator fell ill, but Monday’s matches were played in intense heat.
Air temperature at the All England Club reached 32.3 degrees Celsius to make it the hottest opening day in history.
Ice packs, cold towels and water have been provided to the players to help deal with the conditions.
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Wimbledon have a Heat Rule in place when extreme temperatures impact the tournament.
Players can have a ten-minute break from play if the Welt Bulb Globe Temperature [WBGT] reaches 30.1 degrees celsius or more.
Players can leave the court, although coaching or medical treatment are no allowed.
It applies after the second set of all best-of-three matches, with best-of-five matches having it after the third set.
The Met Office forecast for Tuesday says the temperature could even reach 33 degrees celsius.
However, Wednesday and beyond look set to be cooler, with rain also a possibility later in the week.
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