We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
POLICE IN LONDON are investigating allegations that a young tennis player was poisoned while competing at this year’s Wimbledon competition.
Gabriella Taylor, 18, withdrew from the competition in July and spent four days in intensive care.
Police are now investigating whether the tennis player was deliberately poisoned, The Telegraph reports.
Taylor was reportedly diagnosed with Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection spread by animals. The rare infection typically comes with flu-like symptoms, although in severe cases it can lead to internal bleeding and organ failure.
Taylor had been playing against her American opponent, Kayla Day, during the quarter quarter-final match when she decided in consultation with the umpire that she was unable to continue.
The player’s mother, Milena Taylor, said in the run-up to the tennis tournament her daughter had been physically well.
“She was full of confidence and was looking forward to getting the title; that was her dream. Everything was going well,” she told the paper.
She got to the quarter-final, but then the next thing she is lying in intensive care close to death. When the infection team explained what it was we could not believe it.
Gabriella Taylor / TwitterSo happy to be back on court!!✌🏽️😉 Taking it step by step! 👊🏼 @WilsonTennis @BritishTennis #sunin myeyes pic.twitter.com/R8xaJDmry6
— Gabriella Taylor (@gabitaylorr) August 10, 2016
Police said they were investigating an allegation of poisoning with intent to endanger life or cause grievous bodily harm, describing the victim only as an 18-year-old woman.
“The victim was taken ill on 6 July. It is unknown where or when the poison was ingested,” a police spokesman said in a statement, adding that no arrests had been made.
Wimbledon tennis club was unavailable to discuss the case on Wednesday. A spokesman for the sports ground previously told The Telegraph that Wimbledon had not been approached by police about the probe.
The club had no record of Taylor using her catering pass to eat on site during the championships, the spokesman told the newspaper.
Taylor’s mother said her daughter’s drinks were often left unattended in the players’ lounge, speculating that someone could have contaminated her drink.
Since her unexpected ill health Taylor has returned to training, she is currently ranked 381 in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Leptospurosis is Weils disease..you get it from coming into contact with the urine of an infected rodent, normally rats. Hard to see how someone collected infected rat urine and gave it to her on purpose? Sounds more like accidental poisoning
Might have been in the deuce
If they were in the deuce you would have heard them making a racquet..
Bang on with the detail there Sorcha
Someone could have cultured the bacteria? No need to collect rat urine
It’s clear that the mother who has made the allegation is nuts.
There were 74 confirmed cases of leptospirosis in England in 2014 with many of the milder infections probably being passed off as the “flu” thereby flying under the radar.
To assume that this not uncommon pathogen was intentionally gieven is totally off the wall! Waste of police time.
If she was poisoned then the stakes at Junior level are higher than I thought.
There could be an innocent explanation, but for the life of me I can’t think of one.
I’m surprised they don’t all feel ill having been continuously served balls.
It’s just a balls joke – I didn’t poison her.
Etherman is must have been your poison pen
Haha, it was a balls of a joke.
Rat pissed somewhere. Then she picked up balls that rolled in rat piss. probabaly on some outside court and she probably has a wierd habit of kissing the balls after every service motion. I know cibulkova likes to smell them the dirty monkey. London is full of Rats and Wimbledon attracts loads of spectators who bring their own lunch and sit on the hills. surely that place would have plenty of rodents. Plus with so many matches on in Men’s, Womens, Doubles, Mixed doubles. There is not a hope a betting company would offer bet markets for the Boys and girls events. It would be pointless and and betting company would have an extremly low liability they’ed expose themself to since its not a popular betting market.
have your say