After a comfortable win over Daria Snigur to reach the Round of 32, it seemed Iga Swiatek might finally be settling into her game in Madrid. But when she returned to the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium two days later, it was clear something wasn’t right. The Pole was dealing with illness, and as the match went on, it began to affect her more and more. She received medical treatment, but it wasn’t enough.

Eventually, she was forced to retire mid-match. As she left the court, head down and visibly emotional, the disappointment was hard to miss. Later, speaking to the media, Swiatek struggled to hide how much it had affected her. This time, it wasn’t an opponent that stopped her, but circumstances completely beyond her control.

“The last two days were pretty terrible. I think I have some virus, so it’s been some hours, fine, some hours, pretty bad. So I heard there is something going on between players that the virus is somewhere on site,” the 2024 Madrid Open champion said a couple of hours after her mid-match retirement.

She made it clear that her energy levels had completely dropped. “I’m sure I’ll be fine in a couple of days, but I had zero energy. I just felt really bad physically, and yesterday, even worse. So I thought maybe today it’s gonna be better, but maybe it was, but not enough to play a match.”

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Despite knowing the challenge ahead, she still chose to step onto the court. “I knew that it was gonna be hard, but I still wanted to try, because I have been sick, like, twice in my career, and I could still win most matches. So I guess it all depends on how bad it is, and I guess this time it was worse than before. The symptoms are not something you want to hear about.”

The Pole initially looked like she might turn things around after losing a tight opening set. However, her physical state quickly became a major concern as the match progressed.

It was not surprising when she eventually decided to stop, especially given her body language in the third set. Her movements slowed, and the struggle became visible to everyone watching.

When asked if she had considered skipping the match altogether, she gave an honest answer. “I knew that it was going to be hard, but I still wanted to try.”

She then described the turning point during the match. “In the third set I started feeling a little bit dizzy and not really coordinated. I couldn’t really drink anything because I just felt like I’m full constantly, and the energy went down drastically.”

Now, her focus shifts toward recovery before the next big event. She is aiming to be ready for the Italian Open in Rome next month. There, she hopes to regain rhythm under her new coach, Francisco Roig, especially with the French Open approaching.

“It’s sad for me that I can’t play because I was feeling really good with my game, and I was moving forward in the process,” she said. “The tournament has just started. I couldn’t even compete today, so it’s disappointing.”

The 24-year-old also revealed more details about her condition during the match. After losing the first two games of the deciding set, she had her temperature and blood pressure checked.

She attempted to continue after taking medication, but her body did not respond. Trailing Ann Li 6-7 (4), 6-2, 0-3, 0-30, she ultimately walked off the court in tears.

Even in disappointment, Swiatek remained focused on what comes next. “We’re probably gonna go practice somewhere else, because Rome has much different conditions than here. But it doesn’t really matter because we have a lot of time. The first thing is to just recover, and I’m sure I’ll get some days to just, you know, get rid of this thing. I’m sure in three to four days, I’ll be fine.”

The mention of a virus circulating among players adds another layer of concern. On the ATP side as well, a withdrawal linked to illness has already occurred, making this year’s Madrid Open a physically and emotionally draining tournament for many professionals.

Marin Cilic apologizes after Madrid Open withdrawal due to food poisoning

Marin Cilic was scheduled to face Joao Fonseca in the second round of the Madrid Open. It was set to be an intriguing first career meeting between the two.

The 2014 US Open champion had earned his place in the second round after defeating Zizou Bergs in his opening match. That win set up a highly anticipated clash with the rising Brazilian prospect.

However, the match never took place. The Croatian withdrew from the tournament before stepping onto the court. Cilic later shared the reason through a message on Instagram. His update made it clear that the issue was sudden and serious.

“Hi, everyone,” he said. “Unfortunately, I got food poisoning yesterday. After trying to recover all night, my body is unfortunately exhausted and not at the proper level to get into the battle.”

He also took a moment to address the fans who were expecting to watch him play. His tone reflected disappointment and gratitude.

“Apologies to all the fans who were waiting to watch the match. I was so excited to be back in Madrid. Gracias a todos [thank you all] for the support. Good luck, Joao Fonseca, and I hope that we have a chance to play somewhere again!” Fonseca responded quickly with a message of support. “Thank you!” he said. “Wishing you a speedy recovery.”

With Iga Swiatek and Marin Cilic out of the tournament, the focus now turns to the Italian Open, starting April 29, where both are expected to make their return.