Peyton Stearns Collapses After Stunning Victory Over Qinwen Zheng in Dubai

Peyton Stearns has revealed that she collapsed in a corridor after pulling off a major upset against Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The world No. 46 overcame a tough three-set battle to secure the biggest win of her career, defeating Zheng 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. However, due to rain delays earlier in the tournament, Stearns had to return just hours later for another match against Mirra Andreeva, where she suffered a heavy defeat.

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Stearns Battles Through Illness Before Collapsing

After her second match of the day, Stearns revealed she had been battling a gastrointestinal illness, which took a serious toll on her body. The 23-year-old shared a shocking image of herself collapsed on the floor as medics attended to her.

“Highly don’t recommend having a GI illness & playing two matches in a day… not a good combo,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Stearns also took to Instagram to make light of the situation, captioning a post with:

“Let the bodies hit the floor.”

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Stearns’ Grueling Schedule in Dubai

The rain-affected schedule forced Stearns’ second-round match against Zheng to be delayed by a day, leading to a jam-packed Wednesday.

• Qinwen Zheng started strong, winning the first set.
• Stearns fought back, winning the second and securing an early break in the third.
• Zheng struggled physically, calling for a physio due to cramping in her fingers.
• Stearns sealed the win, securing a massive career milestone.

Unfortunately, her momentum was short-lived, as she returned to the court a few hours later and fell to Andreeva 6-1, 6-1 in just 73 minutes.

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What’s Next for Peyton Stearns?

Despite the difficult conditions, Stearns’ victory over world No. 8 Zheng proves she is a rising star to watch. With continued improvements and better scheduling luck, she could become a major force on the WTA Tour.