A puzzling illness has plagued several top tennis stars at the Madrid Open, leading to withdrawals and distress during matches. Notably, American player Coco Gauff vomited courtside while competing against Sorana Cirstea. Jim Courier, the former American tennis star, speculated that the source might be contaminated prawn tacos in the players’ catering, as multiple players reported symptoms akin to food poisoning. Others suggested a viral infection could be responsible.
Despite her bout of sickness, Gauff persevered and progressed to the fourth round after overcoming a second-set scare, winning the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. After vomiting, she expressed her embarrassment but insisted on continuing. “I’m someone who doesn’t like to pull out… the plan was always just to try to finish,” she stated. Gauff described feeling unwell in the lead-up to the match but felt fine until she suddenly became nauseous during play.
The tournament has seen withdrawals from several players due to illness. Fourth-ranked Iga Swiatek pulled out mid-match against Ann Li, citing an unspecified condition. Madison Keys also withdrew before the tournament commenced, describing a similar viral experience, saying, “The last two days were pretty terrible.”
Other notable withdrawals included Liudmila Samsonova, Marin Čilić, and Corentin Moutet. Cilic mentioned on social media that he believed he had food poisoning, while Moutet disclosed that he had been battling a virus prior to his match.
Gauff, who was a finalist in Madrid last year, later remarked on how difficult the match was after feeling the effects of her illness, acknowledging she was “exhausted” but relieved to have made it through. She will now face No. 13 seed Linda Noskova in her next round.