There seems to be a stomach virus or food poisoning spreading at the Madrid Open.
Several top players have been affected, including Coco Gauff, Iga Swiątek, Marin Cilic, Madison Keys, and Liudmila Samsonova.
During her third-round match against Sorana Cirstea, Gauff was seen vomiting into a bin on court. Even though she felt very sick, she kept playing and still won the match.
Afterward, she called it the “Madrid stomach virus,” which suggests other players may be dealing with the same problem.
The exact cause is not confirmed yet. It could be a virus that spreads easily between people, or it could be related to food. Common symptoms include feeling sick, vomiting, stomach pain, and low energy, which can make it hard to play.
Aryna Sabalenka seems to be one of the few top players not affected by the stomach illness at the tournament. While many players have looked tired or unwell, Sabalenka has stayed strong and continues to win her matches with confidence. She started her campaign with a solid 7–5, 6–3 win over Peyton Stearns, showing control even if she looked a bit rusty early on.
She then played even better in the next round, beating Jaqueline Cristian 6–1, 6–4 to move forward comfortably. In a tougher fourth-round match, Sabalenka fought back to defeat Naomi Osaka 6–7, 6–3, 6–2, showing her strength and focus under pressure to reach the quarterfinals.
Despite illness affecting other players, Sabalenka has kept her energy high and her level consistent.
After one of her matches, she said she has been “very careful with what I eat and how I recover.”
She also joked, “So far, so good. I heard that I have to avoid those tacos (laughing). I stick to the same food, same meal that I’ve been having since the very beginning of the tournament”.
