French tennis player Arthur Gea left the court unexpectedly during his first-round match at the French Open. This occurred after he requested an emergency bathroom break from the chair umpire.
Gea entered Roland Garros with a wild-card entry. In the match against Russian player Karen Khachanov, Gea was trailing 4-2 in the first set. At this point, he urgently asked the umpire for permission to leave the court to use the restroom.
During the match on May 24, 2026, Gea exclaimed, “I need to go to the bathroom. I can’t move anymore. I’m going to s— on the court.” Generally, bathroom breaks are allowed only between sets.
Officials came onto Court Suzanne-Lenglen and asked Gea about the “medical reason” for his emergency request. Gea explained his situation, saying, “Yeah, I’m sick,” and later cited he had “diarrhea.” A trainer also mentioned that Gea had “stomach problems.”
Despite his request, Gea had to continue playing. However, immediately after the next point, Gea headed to the locker rooms quickly. He later shared that the umpire eventually permitted the break due to “medical circumstances.” Gea received medication to ease his stomach discomfort.
He noted that he had not felt unwell the night before but symptoms appeared in the morning. Unfortunately, Gea lost to Khachanov in straight sets.