Tearful Nicolas Jarry recognizes struggles persist amid vestibular neuritis battle: “I can’t see the ball and I lose balance”

Nicolás Jarry continues his drama after the first-round defeat at the Olympic Games. The Chilean had the best performance of his career during the clay swing at the Masters 1000 Rome Open, where he unexpectedly reached the final but ended up losing to Alexander Zverev.

The 28-year-old player seemed ready to take a step forward, but since then, he has only had bad news, as it was revealed that he suffers from vestibular neuritis, a disorder that causes severe vertigo crises due to inflammation of the vestibular nerve, which is key for balance control.

Not in good physical condition, Jarry made the effort to participate in the French Open and Wimbledon, but in both, he suffered first-round defeats, to Corentin Moutet and Denis Shapovalov respectively. Nevertheless, he traveled to Paris 2024, and last-minute withdrawals allowed him to be the 16th seed. However, his privileged position was again of no help, and he recorded his fourth consecutive defeat, this time to Australian Alexei Popyrin.

The Chilean answered some questions from Clay Tennis at Roland Garros after the disappointing defeat. Jarry arrived as his country's flag bearer, and tears welled up in his eyes for several seconds: “It’s a tremendous experience to be here, at the Olympic Games… and losing in the first round, not being well (health-wise), is tough… I know I will come out stronger from this,” he commented through tears.

“I can’t see the ball, I lose balance on counterattacks. I see the ball faster and can’t focus on it well,” added the ‘Tower of Santiago’. “The ear is at 55% of its functions. The brain is doing its job to compensate and create stimuli to adapt. There, I’m at 80%. There’s a bit left to recover; I’m getting closer to my 100%,” revealed the current world number 24.

However, the Chilean tried to make the best of his experience after leading Team Chile at the start of the Olympics. “It has been entertaining to compare disciplines in terms of how each one prepares for their respective challenges. I realized that we are all very different, and I was lucky to carry the flag, which will be something unforgettable. There are positive things, and I am working to focus on them.”

There is still a challenge for Jarry in Paris, as he will team up with Alejandro Tabilo in doubles. The left-hander was another first-round disappointment, like Jarry, taking a last-minute seeded spot, but also fell in his debut against Roman Safiulin.