A HARROWING image of Simona Halep in a hospital bed showed just how much tennis players put their bodies through.
The Romanian was admitted to hospital after suffering from ‘severe dehydration’ following her epic Australian final defeat to Caroline Wozniacki.
Halep went down 7-6 3-6 6-4 in the Melbourne showdown and spent two hours and 50 minutes in the on court.
But the stifling heat clearly had a serious after-effect as she was pictured on a drip and with her eyes closed after the final.
In all, she had spent almost 12 hours on court throughout her first six rounds, in the extreme Melbourne heat.
It was clear Halep was struggling straight away.
Speaking immediately after the match, she said: “It’s not easy to talk now but first of all I want to congratulate Caroline, she played amazing.
“It’s been a great tournament to me. Of course I’m sad I couldn’t win today but Caroline was better than me.”
WOZ IS AUS BOSS Australian Open final: Caroline Wozniacki beats Simona Halep
Halep lost her world No 1 ranking following ranking following the defeat.
It is her third final appearance, following losses in the 2014 and 2017 French Open showpieces.
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