Madrid Open: Gauff’s Resilience Amidst Illness
At the Madrid Open on Sunday, Coco Gauff experienced a shocking moment when she vomited during her match, yet still managed to secure a victory. In contrast, her compatriot Iga Swiatek was forced to withdraw due to illness. Swiatek revealed the presence of a stomach virus circulating in the locker room after she exited her match against Ann Li in the third round.
Gauff’s Challenging Match
Gauff found herself in a challenging position against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, trailing by a set and a break when she suddenly had to rush off the court to be sick during the second set. After calling for a medical timeout, she demonstrated remarkable resilience by recovering to win the match with scores of 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
“I don’t know how I got it done,” Gauff reflected in an interview with Sky Sports, explaining that maintaining her stomach was difficult until she was able to vomit after the first set, which offered her some relief. “It was just a tough match. I believe I caught the Madrid stomach virus that’s circulating. Normally, I don’t get sick, but the luck just wasn’t on my side today.”
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Gauff aims to be fit for her fourth-round encounter against 13th seed Linda Noskova, who advanced after receiving a walkover, as 20th seed Liudmila Samsonova appears to have also succumbed to the stomach virus.
Jannik Sinner’s Precautions
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner, who smoothly advanced by defeating qualifier Elmer Moller 6-2, 6-3, expressed his efforts to avoid illness.
“I try not to spend too much time here. On days without matches, I come late, practice, and leave as soon as possible. This is my routine for every tournament,” Sinner commented, acknowledging the risks of contagion prevalent in shared spaces like dining areas and gyms.
