The 2026 clay season hasn’t been kind to Iga Świątek so far. On Saturday, she made an unexpected exit at the Madrid Open, quitting in tears midway through her third-round match. Just minutes before calling it quits, she had her vitals checked.
Świątek addressed the press after her retirement, revealing that illness forced her to take the rare step.
Iga Świątek Felt Dizzy and Uncoordinated at Madrid Open
Świątek, the 2024 champion, began her campaign on Thursday, with a clinical 6-1, 6-2 win against Daria Snigur in the second round. The fourth seed, who entered the tournament after an early exit against Mirra Andreeva in Stuttgart, appeared to be in great form at her second tournament with her new coach, Francisco Roig. Stars didn’t align for the Pole, though, as she fell ill during her stay in the Spanish capital, resulting in retirement against Ann Li.
During her post-match press conference, the Pole alerted reporters about her health and potentially contagious illness. “The last two days were pretty terrible. I think I have some virus, so I know you guys want your answers, but you better watch out. It’s been some hours fine, some hours pretty bad,” she said.
“There is something going on between players; the virus is somewhere on site.”
Świątek also enjoyed several off-court activities, including visits to Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Bernabéu, where she spent time with Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner, and Jude Bellingham, among others.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine in a couple of days, but I had zero energy and zero stability.”
The 24-year-old gave her best shot against Li despite her discomfort. She pushed the match to three sets after losing the opener but eventually quit two hours and 14 minutes in, with the score reading 7-6(4), 2-6, 3-0 (ret.) in her opponent’s favor.
“I just felt really bad physically, and yesterday even worse, so I thought maybe today it’s going to be better, but maybe it was not enough to play a tennis match. I still felt I had a chance, but then in the third set I started feeling even a little bit dizzy and not really coordinated,” she said.
MORE: Iga Świątek in Tears As She Walks Off the Court After Sad Mid-Match Madrid Retirement
Iga Świątek called for a medical timeout moments before leaving the court in tears. The Pole’s next destination is Rome, where she contests the Italian Open. She has won the WTA 1000 tournament thrice and will chase her first title of the season here. Świątek, known for her clay-court prowess, hasn’t won a title on the surface since the 2024 French Open.
