Even a quick cleaning can't stop Coco Gauff.
The top tennis player had to call a medical timeout during the second set of his match at the Madrid Open against him Sorry Cirstea on Sunday, April 26, running to the side of the court before falling ill.
The brief delay did not hold him back for long, as Gauff continued to advance in the tournament, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
“I don't know how I did it,” Gauff said Sky Sports after the game. “It was a lot of trying to keep my food down. But when I threw – and I was able to throw after the first set – I felt better.
He continued, “It was just a tough game. I think I got a stomach bug in Madrid that is going around. I'm usually a good person. My luck today was not good.”
Gauff's health problems came just one day later Iga Swiatek he had to retire in the third set of his match. Swiatek also took time off for treatment but – unlike Gauff – eventually had to withdraw from the court.
“I'm sure I'll recover in a few days, but I didn't have the strength,” said Swiatek Tennis.com after withdrawing. “I just feel very bad in my body and yesterday, even worse. So I thought that today will be better, but maybe it was better, but not enough to play the match.”
He continued, “Symptoms are not what you want to hear.”
Coco Gauff reacts after defeating Sorana Cirstea at the Madrid Open
David Ramos / Getty ImagesAlmost half of the players have been forced to leave the tournament so far due to illness which seems to be their round.
“When I threw myself on the court, that was a little embarrassing,” Gauff told reporters, according to the WTA. “After that first and second game, I was like that, I took everything out of myself. I'm a person who doesn't like to take things out [of matches]. I don't like to do that unless I feel I have no other options.”
He went on to say, “So the plan was to always try to finish, even if it's over for me, I just play to win.”
No. 2 seed Coco Gauff appeared to be reeling from her shock first-round performance at Wimbledon on Tuesday, July 1, as she was beaten by a raw Dayana Yastremska. Gauff, 21, lost 7-6 (3), 6-1, and finished with 29 unforced errors and nine double faults. After the match, he opened up about what went wrong, saying that he finally won the French Open […]
Gauff next faces number 13 Linda Noskova on Monday, April 27.
Jannik Sinner – World No. 1 on the men's side – he said he did everything possible to avoid pregnancy.
“I come on game days early, but practice days are very late,” said Sinner. I train, then I run. But this is how I do all the competitions.”
He went on to say, “I don't know if it's something that exists here or just, but this is possible, if someone is sick you stay very close to each other in restaurants and gyms.”
