There has been a worrying development at the 2026 Madrid Open, with players quitting left and right due to mysterious illness. While the tournament suffered an early blow after Carlos Alcaraz- and Novak Djokovic-lead mass withdrawals, Iga Świątek recently fell victim to illness, and Madison Keys was forced to withdraw before she even played her first match.
It’s not just these two players that are affected; many others, including Liudmila Samsonova and Marin Čilić, missed their matches after falling ill. Coco Gauff, too, struggled during her match against Sorana Cirstea.
What Did Players, Including Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff, Say About Madrid Open Health Scare?
Świątek left the court in tears on Saturday, April 25, after she was unable to complete her third-round match at the tournament. The Pole, who faced Ann Li, experienced dizziness in the third set. She claimed that she felt uncoordinated and her “energy went down drastically,” resulting in the retirement at 7-6(4), 2-6, 3-0 (ret.) in Li’s favor.
“The last two days were pretty terrible. I think I have some virus,” she said. “There’s something going on between the players; the virus is somewhere on site.”
On the women’s side, Keys also withdrew hours before her opening match, citing illness. She was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Anastasia Potapova. On Sunday, Liudmila Samsonova didn’t show up to her third-round match against Linda Nosková after falling sick.
Nosková’s next opponent, Coco Gauff, wasn’t spared, either. The American star battled to a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 win while being sick and throwing up on court.
“I don’t know how I got it done. It was a lot of trying to keep my food down, but once I threw up and I was able to throw up again after the first set, I felt a little better,” she told Sky Sports.
“I think I got the Madrid stomach virus that is going around. And I’m usually someone who doesn’t get sick. My luck today just wasn’t good,” Gauff added, laughing nervously.
Just minutes after winning her singles match, Gauff pulled out of her doubles encounter with compatriot Robin Montgomery.
“My luck today just wasn’t good”
Coco Gauff after recovering from vomiting on court to beat Sorana Cirstea in three sets 💪 pic.twitter.com/BexOVaUioC
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) April 26, 2026
Meanwhile, on the men’s side, Čilić abandoned his anticipated match against João Fonseca less than an hour before they were expected to take the court.
“Unfortunately, I got food poisoning yesterday. After trying to recover all night, my body is unfortunately exhausted and not at the proper level to get into the battle. Apologies to all the fans who were waiting to watch the match,” he wrote on Instagram.
MORE: ‘You Better Watch Out’ – Iga Świątek Warns Reporters After Disclosing Madrid Retirement Reason
Corentin Moutet, who suffered a straight-sets upset against Spanish local Daniel Merida Aguilar, revealed that he, too, was compromised by a virus during his 6-3, 6-4 loss.
“Sorry for my performance today. Fighting with a virus the last few days. I love Madrid, so I wanted to fight even under those circumstances. I gave it all but wasn’t enough. It’s time to recover from this and give some time to my body,” he wrote.
Jim Courier, who is commentating on the Tennis Channel during the combined WTA and Masters 1000 event, reportedly blamed the consumption of bad shrimp tacos for the players’ health scare. It remains to be seen whether more players come forward with the same complication as the tournament enters the second week.
