American tennis player Peyton Stearns exhibited exceptional sportsmanship at the Australian Open 2024 when she came to the aid of a struggling ballgirl during her first-round match against Daria Kasatkina. With the temperature soaring to 31 degrees Celsius at Melbourne Park, the match experienced a brief stoppage as the ballgirl nearly fainted.
Despite losing the first set, Stearns, leading 5-3 in the second set, noticed the distressed ballgirl and promptly rushed to her chair, offering an ice towel to help cope with the heat. While Stearns ultimately lost the match, her compassionate gesture earned widespread applause and admiration from spectators.