Coco Gauff’s run at the Madrid Open is over. She crashed out of the tournament earlier than she would’ve liked, considering she was defending finalist points from last year. Although her run was brief, the American surely stirred up attention after she fell sick on the court en route to her third-round win.
After losing her fourth-round match, Gauff reflected on her time in Madrid and indicated that she feels tennis fans may have witnessed more than they bargained for during her dramatic third-round battle.
Coco Gauff Threw Up Twice Mid-Match at the Madrid Open
After a forgettable start to the clay swing in Stuttgart, where she lost to Karolína Muchová in the quarterfinal, Gauff opened her campaign in Madrid with a 6-3, 6-0 win against Leolia Jeanjean. All seemed to be going according to plan for the American until she fell ill, like several other players competing at the combined ATP and WTA tournament.
When Gauff took the court against Sorana Cîrstea on Sunday, she appeared out of sorts and threw up twice. The 22-year-old lost the opening set and ultimately called for a medical timeout in the second set to get her vitals checked. She was also offered a pill, which helped ease her symptoms.
Gauff then mounted a comeback and eventually closed out the dramatic match with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 score.
“I think I got what everybody else is having here in Madrid, unfortunately. I was trying not to throw up on the court. It was a weird feeling. I don’t know how I got through it,” she said after the win.
In the match that followed on Monday, the American was edged out by Linda Nosková, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(5), in a taxing two-hour-and-five-minutes battle. Notably, she squandered a two-break advantage in the final set.
“Getting a stomach virus, hallelujah. Regardless of the circumstances, I still had fun and learned a lot. Gracias, Madrid,” she wrote on Instagram, reflecting on her time in the Spanish capital.
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The player issued an apology to the fans who watched the clip circulating online of her vomiting in the courtside bin. “Sorry to everyone who had to see this,” she said, lightheartedly.
Considering how the win unfolded, Gauff added, “Me winning this match will go down as a personal career highlight haha.”
Coco Gauff also received support from her father, Corey, who slammed haters accusing her of faking illness. She wasn’t alone. Numerous other players were affected by a supposed stomach virus, including Iga Świątek, Madison Keys, Corentin Moutet, Liudmila Samsonova, and Marin Cilic.
MORE: Coco Gauff’s Father Blasts ‘Egghead’ Fan Over ‘Faking Illness’ Jibe After Her Madrid Struggles
The American will now hope to recover in time for the Italian Open (May 5-17). She is again defending 650 points as last year’s runner-up in Rome. Her biggest task on clay this year is defending 2000 points as the reigning French Open champion.
