No. 1 Simona Halep Practically Twisted Her Ankle Off And Still Won

On Day One of the Australian Open, top-seeded Simona Halep stretched for a ball in the second set of her match against 17-year-old Destanee Aiava and rolled her ankle over... and over, and then somehow over even more until her foot was roughly perpendicular with her lower leg. The video is above, but also *shiver*

This kind of gruesome injury usually heralds the end of an athlete’s season, and at the very least the end of their match. But somehow Halep got her ankle taped up and didn’t just finish the set but cruised through it, winning the match in straight sets, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

The 26-year-old reportedly limped into the post-match presser, but said she was expecting to play in her second-round match:

“I feel that is nothing broken, but still the pain was big. I have to see with the doctors. I had before last year, about five (times), this ankle during the years. So my ankles are not good. That’s why I tape all the time.”

She’ll play Canadian Eugenie Bouchard next, provided her jello ligaments return to form.