Gabriella Taylor's departure from the girls' tournament at Wimbledon may have been the result of an intentional poisoning, and the incident is now being investigated by Scotland Yard.
According to BBC Sports, Taylor, 18, pulled out of Wimbledon after becoming ill during her quarterfinals match with the United States' Kayla Day and spent four days in intensive care. Physicians diagnosed teenage tennis star with a rare strain of leptospirosis, also known as Weil's disease.
Leptospirosis is a bacteria that can be transmitted through rat urine, noted BBC Sports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that without treatment, leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and death.
Milena Taylor, the player's mother, told BBC Sports that her daughter had been living in "a completely healthy environment" and it would have been "impossible" for her to have randomly contracted the disease. She said Gabriella Taylor is "still not 100 percent."
Authorities said that the poisoning allegation was made to them Aug. 5.
"It is unknown where or when the poison was ingested," a police spokesman added.
The Sun reported Wednesday that Taylor may have been the victim of an organized crime betting syndicate, or rival player or coach.
Milena Taylor told the Sun that she kept an eye on what her daughter ate during the tournament and a Wimbledon added that the tennis player did not eat at the facilities during the competition.
Marga Goris, an academic at the Leptospirosis Reference Centre in the Netherlands, and Ashley Croft, a consultant in public health medicine, told The Guardian that is was unlikely Taylor was poisoned with leptospirosis intentionally, with Croft calling the allegation "far-fetched."
BBC Sports said Taylor is ranked 381 in the world and only returned to the tennis court this week, according to a Twitter post.