The tennis world is mourning the sudden loss of 17-year-old Zainab Ali Naqvi, a rising star from Pakistan. Zainab tragically collapsed in her room on February 13, following a practice session at the ITF Junior Championship in Islamabad. Despite rushed medical attention, she was pronounced dead later that night.
A police official in a statement that doctors declared the player dead after she was rushed to the hospital. The police officials said the player's family denied autopsy and postmortem of the player to certain the exact cause of death, however, the doctors suspect it was due to a heart attack.
Teen Pak Tennis Player Dies After Collapsing During ITF Junior Event
The 17-year-old reportedly died while being taken to the hospital late Monday night. Naqvi was accompanied by her grandmother who sought help after the young player abruptly fainted and was declared 'bought dead' by the doctors at Islamabad Hospital.
A senior Pakistan Tennis Federation official said It is very sad because "Zainab was a very promising player on the women's circuit and enthusiastically working hard to win the ITF junior competitions."
A police official handling the case informed that doctors have termed the tragedy as a 'natural cause of death' suspecting a heart attack and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a disease which causes thickening by heart muscles, as informed by a PTF official on the terms of anonymity.
The police official informed that the family denied any postmortem of the player's body and it has been handed over to them so for her final rituals back in Karachi.
PTF in its official statement offered their condolences for the loss of a young promising player and expressed their "profound grief" as the statement read: "Mr Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, the President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, Senator Salim Saifullah Khan, Ex-President PTF, PTF Council Members, and the tennis fraternity at large offer their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family."
As a gesture of paying respect to the player, the tournament has dismissed all the ITF matches for Tuesday, postponing them to Wednesday.
Zainab, known for her dedication and talent, was a beacon of hope for the Pakistani tennis scene. She had already carved her path in national junior tournaments and was seen as a promising contender on the international stage. Her unexpected passing comes as a devastating blow to the sport and her loved ones.
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