The rain in Spain may stay mainly in the plain, but Coco Gauff’s lunch was all over center court at the Madrid Open on Sunday.
Now No. 3 in the world, the 22-year-old got ill during a third-round clash with Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, only to pull off a dramatic 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 comeback win.
‘I don’t know how I got it done,’ Gauff told Sky Sports afterwards. ‘Just dealing with a lot of trying to keep my food down. But once I threw up, and I was able to throw up after the first set, I felt a bit better.’
The incident occurred at the onset of the second set when Gauff politely disappeared behind a rose bush beyond the baseline. Later a doctor on site checked Gauff’s vital signs during a changeover.
‘It was just a tough match,’ Gauff continued. ‘I think I got the Madrid stomach virus that’s going around. I’m usually someone who doesn’t get sick. My luck today just wasn’t good.’
As she indicated, Gauff isn’t alone in her pain. Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek retired from her match against Ann Li a day earlier due to illness. Liudmila Samsonova and Marin Cilic have also battled health issues at the tournament.
Gauff got ill after dropping the first set to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea on Sunday in Madrid
Coco Gauff reacts against Sorana Cirstea of Romania during the Madrid Open
The incident occurred at the onset of the second set when Gauff politely disappeared behind a rose bush beyond the baseline. Later a doctor on site checked Gauff’s vital signs
The problem has even surfaced in soccer where Real Madrid’s Raul Asencio was hospitalized with severe gastroenteritis. And earlier this month, health officials along the Andalusian coast issued warnings about a highly infectious stomach flu.
Whether Gauff is dealing with the same virus remains a mystery, but whatever she’s battling was clearly a drain in the Spanish sun on Sunday.
‘Honestly, I was just trying to finish the match and one point turned into another,’ said Gauff, who finished runner-up in Madrid last year before winning the French Open.
‘I think I got what everybody else is having here in Madrid, unfortunately. So I’m just going to try to push through for tomorrow.’
Gauff moves on to face Linda Noskova, the No. 13 seed, on Monday in Madrid.
