Coco Gauff vomited on court during her second-round match at the Madrid Open but rallied to defeat Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 and advance to the round of 16.
The American, seeded third, appeared to be following the same path as world number one Iga Swiatek, who withdrew from her match the previous day citing a stomach virus spreading through the locker room. Gauff called for a medical timeout after vomiting on court but managed to turn the match around, saying she felt better once she was able to vomit and received medication.
Gauff described the struggle as constant, saying she did not know how she managed to continue but felt slightly better after expelling the contents of her stomach. She attributed her illness to the same virus affecting other players, noting she rarely gets sick and felt unlucky to have caught it during the tournament.
The victory marked Gauff’s third consecutive appearance in the fourth round of the Madrid Open and her 33rd time reaching that stage or better in WTA 1000 events. Only Martina Hingis, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Caroline Wozniacki have achieved more such feats before turning 23.
Gauff will next face Czech teenager Linda Noskova, who advanced to the round of 16 after her opponent, Liudmila Samsonova, withdrew due to illness. Gauff has won their two previous encounters.
How did Gauff manage to win despite being ill?
Gauff said she focused on taking one point at a time, felt better after vomiting and receiving medication, and pushed through fatigue to secure the victory.
Who is Gauff’s next opponent and what is their history?
Gauff will face Linda Noskova, whom she has defeated in their two previous matches; Noskova advanced after her opponent withdrew due to illness.
