Freeport senior Diego Robles-Sanchez is scheduled to go in for surgery to have his appendix removed on Wednesday morning, meaning he will not be able to attempt to make a run at the IHSA boys state tennis tournament after winning a sectional title.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Robles-Sanchez said Tuesday night about the diagnosis. “To go from sectional champion to going right in for surgery, right away, it’s just unbelievable.”
Robles-Sanchez won the singles’ title at the Rochelle Sectional on Saturday and was scheduled to take on Mahomet-Seymour freshman Jackson Dancer in the opening round of the IHSA state tournament, which runs May 28-30 in and around Palatine.
He was complaining of stomach problems, vomiting, and “food poisoning” on Tuesday afternoon. He went to the ER later in the day and eventually got an X-ray that told him he had “a problem with my appendix.” And it will have to come out.
He will not be able to play at state as the surgery and recovery is sure to keep him out for an indefinite amount of time.
“I’m trying to stay positive, but it’s pretty tough,” the Freeport senior said. “My mind has just been blank … As soon as the doctor left, I just started crying. It’s hard to believe.”
Last year, Robles-Sanchez and his Freeport doubles’ partner Caden DeJong went 3-2 at state and made it to the fourth consolation round, tying Hononegah’s Braden Monson for the longest state run in 2025. This year, Robles-Sanchez was looking to make a run in singles.Robles-Sanchez was the only Freeport player to advance to state.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Freeport’s Diego Robles-Sanchez to have surgery, miss state tennis meet
Reporting by Jay Taft, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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