Kathmandu, Aug. 2 -- On October 25, 2023, while competing at the Davis Cup in Isa Town, Abhishek Bastola was battling more than just Qatar's top player, Mubarak Alharrasi-he was also fighting a fever and a runny nose. Frequently reaching for his towel between points at the Bahrain Tennis Federation court, Bastola displayed remarkable grit to win the match in straight sets.

After a brief half-hour break-spent refueling on fruit he'd brought from his hotel-Bastola returned to the court, teaming up with Aki Zuben Rawat for a doubles match against Alharrasi and Rashed Nawaf. The physical toll finally caught up with him; as soon as the match ended, Bastola collapsed.

"I vomited all over my t-shirt," Bastola recalls. He returned to his hotel ...