TenZ Finally Taking a Break Due to Injured Finger and Illness
Sentinels Head Coach Adam Kaplan has announced on Twitter that TenZ will be temporarily benched to give him some time to rest and recover. Substitute Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen will be taking his place for the next two VCT matches.
“This season is really short and there’s a lot of expectations on this roster and we just gotta get to f—ing work,” Kaplan said.
In a quick update from new Head Coach Kaplan, it was confirmed that TenZ is sick and his hand is still in pain. The team recently lost to NRG Esports and fans were quick to point out that TenZ was suffering from a joint infection on his left index finger. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to sit out at the time due to Marved still waiting for his visa.
“Too many people spread too much hate. Rough day for Tenz and I’m sure he’s aware of that. Can’t imagine being in his position with everything going on around him though,” one fan wrote after the loss.
Others pointed out that TenZ is also dealing with a lot in his personal life. His fiance Kyedae Alicia Shymko was recently diagnosed with cancer and leukemia and has shaved her head ahead of chemotherapy. This is something that has been weighing heavy on TenZ’s mind as well.
Sentinels Prepare for VCT Americas 2023 With Marved
This week-long break should give TenZ some time to heal and relax. Meanwhile, Sentinels will be scrimming with Marved and then the team is looking to face LOUD and then MiBR, two top Brazilian teams, this upcoming weekend.
Marved started the year unsigned before becoming Sentinels’ sixth player in March, replacing Hunter "SicK" Mims. It was predicted that Marved would step in for TenZ after fans saw Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi playing Initiator while playing VALORANT with Zachary “Zekken” Patrone despite usually being in the Controller role.
The squad will most likely be making some changes to its playstyle going into the weekend. Sacy will be on Initiator, Zekken will take on the Duelist role, and then Marved will be the Controller, the role he dominated with while playing with OpTic.
But Kaplan reassured fans that this is not a complete reset and nobody should worry about the team’s performance. According to Kaplan, this is just the “continuation” of what the roster has been planning and practicing from the start.
“Change can be scary, but you guys need to know that this team is going to be well coached, well disciplined, well structured, and razor sharp on stage,” Kaplan said. “We have world-class caliber players and I have every intention of showing you exactly what they’re capable of. Let’s get to f—ing work.”
