Iga Świątek is all set for the Italian red clay, but getting there wasn’t exactly a glamorous journey. After an unexpected dip in her physical energy during the Madrid Open, the world No. 4 has finally cleared the air regarding her struggles in a pre-tournament interview in Rome, and it turns out the brutal stomach bug was to blame.
Iga Świątek Laughs Off Severe Stomach Illness That Derailed Madrid Run
Speaking to the press ahead of the Italian Open in Rome, Świątek didn’t hold back when describing the physical toll the mysterious locker-room illness took on her body.
“Yeah, my Madrid tournament was tough. It was really, like, s***ty, literally (laughter),” Świątek confessed. “So yeah, I was completely off, like, day before the match. The day I played also I was not good, like no energy at all.”
In Madrid, the Pole played Round of 64 vs. Daria Snigur, despite feeling “completely off,” but managed to grind through the symptoms to advance to the third round.
But in the Round of 32 vs. Ann Li, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 0-3, Świątek lost the first set, but fought through the illness to a second-set comeback against the American. However, she couldn’t go on for long, called for the doctor, and was forced to retire in tears while down 0-3. It marked the three-time Madrid Open champ’s earliest ever exit from the tournament, which she had played five times.
The wave of sickness affected both the ATP and WTA draws. Initially, it was rumored that the issue was the catering, that a bad batch of shrimp tacos served in the player dining lounge had triggered food poisoning. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka also stated she was warned to avoid the tacos and stuck to a strict diet of plain chicken breast, rice, and salad to survive the fortnight.
However, many players, like Coco Gauff, didn’t eat the tacos, but got unwell. It was actually a highly contagious viral stomach bug passed in the close quarters of the locker rooms. Whatever the origin, the casualty list was massive. Major stars who withdrew or were severely impacted included Gauff, Liudmila Samsonova, Madison Keys, Marin Čilić, Karolina Pliskova, and Corentin Moutet.
Gauff had to throw up on court during her third-round match against Sorana Cîrstea. But she incredibly managed to push through the nausea, took a medical timeout, and rallied to win the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. The world No. 3 ultimately fell in the Round of 16 to Linda Nosková, losing 4-6, 6-1, 6-7(5).
After falling ill, Świątek decided to delay her trip to Italy. She stayed put in Spain to rest.
“Honestly, day after it was a bit better, but still I don’t think I would be able to play normal,” she explained. “But in two days I was already fine. I recovered. I had some time to stay there and not really travel because I don’t think it’s safe to travel when you’re so, like, fragile.”
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“Then I came here and I was able to practice fully from the beginning 100%,” Świątek said. “Quickly, I was back.”
As the fourth seed, Świątek receives a first-round bye and will face either Daria Kasatkina or Caty McNally, entering the tournament as a top contender after past successes in Rome.
