Lightning-fast Wimbledon retirement still nets unfortunate Frenchman a hefty prize money sum

On paper, day one of Wimbledon promised an immediate thriller. In the men's draw, the world numbers 76 and 80 were pitted against each other in the first round. Hungarian Marton Fucsovics likely anticipated a tough challenge from Van Assche, but that proved far from the case during the match. Fucsovics comfortably took the first set 6-3 and was leading an impressive 4-0 in the second set.

It was at this point that the 22-year-old Frenchman decided he'd had enough. Battling a back injury, he chose to retire from the match. The trouble for Van Assche, who had just won a Challenger on clay in Parma before Wimbledon, began in his second service game. As he chased a Fucsovics shot and had to abruptly change direction, his lower back seized up. He quickly required attention from a physiotherapist. Gritting his teeth, he soldiered on for a while, but his movement was clearly hampered.

He managed to claw back a few games in the first set, from 5-1 to 5-3, but victory was never truly within reach. To prevent a more serious injury, Van Assche decided to cut his losses and retire after just under an hour of play. He did so knowing that by simply playing, he was guaranteed the first-round prize money. This is a substantial sum for the Frenchman, as he pockets a hefty 92,000 euros at Wimbledon. This stands in stark contrast to what he earned at the Challenger in Parma, where his title win brought him 'only' 30,460 euros.

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