The US Open has finally kicked off, and the heat is on in Flushing Meadows. Arthur Ashe is buzzing with first-round action, where veterans and debutants alike are trying to make their mark at the last Slam of the season. For Spain’s Nuria Parrizas-Diaz, it was supposed to be a chance to showcase her game one last time this year. But tennis, as it often does, had other plans.

Matched up against Polina Kudermetova, The Spaniard looked sharp from the start. She was holding her own, locked in at 2-2, and even earned two break points. Then disaster struck. In the middle of a rally, she rolled her ankle, went down hard on Court 7, and immediately clutched it in pain. The sight was hard to watch, she covered her face with a towel, tears streaming, as staff ran to her side.

What followed was a long, tense pause. Medical staff treated her ankle, strapping it up while she tried to gather herself. To her credit, the 34-year-old bravely attempted to play on. But just minutes later, it was clear that her body refused to cooperate. After only 24 minutes on court, she retired from the match, heartbreak written all over her face.

The scene was emotional. Ball kids rushed in with umbrellas to shield her from the sun as she waited for the physio. Courtside, former world No. 6 and new Spanish Billie Jean King Cup captain Sara Sorribes Tormo looked on, clearly concerned. Parrizas-Diaz hobbled, tried to tough it out, but ultimately had to accept the reality. A cruel twist of fate on day one of the Slam.

This match against Kudermetova could have been the rematch from their clash at the Brisbane International earlier this year. But unlike last time, Polina advanced by walkover. Nuria hasn’t had the best season so far. She’s faced a number of early exits in the nineteen tournaments played, and this walkover isn’t the first for the Spaniard either.

The US Open only adds to Nuria Parrizas’ frustrations

Last month in Prague, Nuria Parrizas-Diaz’s debut ended in heartbreak. Facing France’s Leolia Jeanjean, ranked No. 99, she trailed 6-3, 2-0 when physical issues forced her to stop. The Granada native had already fallen behind 4-0 after dropping two early breaks. She lost the first set 6-3, and then, in the second, weakened and needing treatment, retired mid-match. Jeanjean advanced to face ninth seed Ann Li while Parrizas was left searching for answers. A week later in Iasi, Romania, the script repeated itself—another painful retirement.

The season kept piling on. Of the 13 tournaments she entered in 2025, Parrizas crashed out in the first round of nine. An eight-match losing streak weighed heavily, sapping her confidence. Yet, the storm broke in Bari, where she fought her way to the semifinals. That little run didn’t just stop the slump—it handed her proof that winning was still possible.

By June, she spoke candidly to Puntodebreak about what kept her moving. When asked if her latest WTA 125K title was her most special, she replied, “I’m not sure if it’s the most special, but considering the moment I was in, it has been a great reward. In another moment, if you are feeling good and win the tournament, maybe you don’t enjoy it as much.” She admitted the hard truth: “I was coming from a disastrous clay court tour, losing many matches in a row, many of them in the third set, but they always ended on the other side.”

So what drove her to keep fighting? The biggest stages. “The Grand Slams drive me, these tournaments are amazing, that’s where I truly want to be and play,” she said, recalling her two third-round runs at the Australian Open. But the 2025 Slams haven’t been kind—first-round exit in Melbourne, failed qualifiers at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and now the US Open heartbreak.

With Flushing Meadows just heating up, her tears tell the story of a season gone wrong. Will she bounce back before year’s end—or will 2026 bring her the reset she’s chasing? Only time will tell! In the meantime, don’t miss any US Open updates with our Live Blog here!