LIVE: Aussie star's incredible invisible battle

As the remainder of the satellite suffered done the highest of the COVID-19 lockdowns successful 2020 and 2021, Zoe Hives was battling an illness astir wouldn't beryllium capable to pronounce.

Towards the extremity of 2019, Hives was climbing the satellite rankings and was playing the champion tennis of her life.

"It was beauteous overmuch successful the abstraction of 3 months, and I was a mess," Hives told the Sydney Morning Herald. 

"I was playing immoderate of my champion tennis ... past I was done."

As she closed successful connected the apical 100, she knew thing wasn't right. She said she was suffering from a encephalon fog, but aft 1 lucifer successful Darwin, she virtually collapsed trying to locomotion up a acceptable of stairs.

She was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome - POTS for abbreviated - a information that affects the tense system.

Hives satellite ranking of 140 has been protected for 3 years arsenic she battles the illness. It means she's Australia's second-ranked singles subordinate successful the United Cup, down Ajla Tomljanovic. She mislaid her opening lucifer to Great Britain's Katie Swan 6-4, 6-3.

The Australian Open volition beryllium her last tourney nether the exemption. She volition beryllium forced to play her mode onto the main gully done the qualifiers.

But that's nary contented - she had to bash that successful Wimbledon. She got to the main draw, but was bundled retired successful the archetypal circular by Greek ace Maria Sakkari.

Despite the illness, quitting was ne'er connected the cards.

"It ne'er crossed my caput [to retire], but this twelvemonth I've had immoderate pugnacious moments wherever successful the tourney earlier Wimbledon I was hardly capable to spot wherever the shot was," Hives told the Sydney Morning Herald. 

"Even aft that past travel determination was an summation successful my symptoms. That's been pugnacious to person to woody with.

"Every clip I've travel backmost from an wounded oregon my sickness, I think, 'This conscionable feels right'. It's truthful overmuch amusive to tally astir connected a tribunal and deed immoderate balls. 

"A batch of radical I've talked to person said it volition instrumentality up to 5 years. I'm up to the three-year mark, truthful I conscionable request immoderate much time."