Despite feeling unwell, Coco Gauff demonstrated resilience, recovering from a significant disadvantage to defeat Sorana Cirstea and advance to the Madrid Open’s fourth round.
The American third-seeded player, grappling with a gastric ailment which led to her being sick into a receptacle during the second set, still managed to reverse her fortunes, securing a win with scores of 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
This week, a number of competitors in Madrid have been suffering from health issues, notably Iga Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, who mentioned experiencing “no balance and no vigor” prior to withdrawing from her Saturday encounter with Ann Li.
Marin Cilic withdrew from the competition on Friday ahead of his second-round fixture against Joao Fonseca, and Liudmila Samsonova likewise departed the event due to sickness before her scheduled third-round contest with Linda Noskova.
During her second set battle against Romania’s 25th seed Cirstea, Gauff requested a pause for medical attention, and when later questioned about her ability to complete the game, she simply stated, “Honestly, I have no idea.”
She further commented, “It seems I’ve caught the same ailment afflicting others here in Madrid, regrettably. Consequently, I intend to persevere for tomorrow’s play.”
“My condition did begin to improve, and the urge to vomit subsided. The medication they provided certainly offered relief,” she explained.
“However, exhaustion was significant… Initially, my primary focus was simply preventing anything I’d consumed from coming back up. After receiving assistance for that, I merely felt queasy and fatigued. That, though, is manageable for me.”
Gauff is scheduled to face the Czech 13th seed, Noskova, in the fourth round, progressing with her clay court training in anticipation of the French Open next month, an event she currently holds the title for.
Her victory against Cirstea signifies Gauff’s advancement to the fourth round in Madrid for the third consecutive year.
The previous year, she suffered a loss in the final to the world’s top-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka, only to reverse that outcome a month subsequently by triumphing in the final at Roland Garros.
