Coco Gauff experienced nausea and vomited during her match against Sorana Cirstea at the Madrid Open but still managed to advance to the next round after a medical timeout.
Key points
Coco Gauff vomited during her match
She faced Sorana Cirstea at the Madrid Open
Gauff called for a medical timeout
She advanced to the next round despite the incident
Coco GauffSorana CirsteaMadrid Open
Coco Gauff gets sick during Madrid OpenCredit: David Ramos/Getty
Coco Gauff gets sick during Madrid Open
Credit: David Ramos/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
Coco Gauff withdrew during the second set of her match against Sorana Cirstea at the Madrid Open on Sunday, April 26, to run to the side of the court and throw up
“The first part was literally just trying to keep whatever I ate down, and once they gave me something to help with that, then I was just nauseous and tired,” she said after the match
Despite Gauff's medical timeout, the tennis star went on to advance to the next round of the professional tennis tournament
Coco Gauff called for a quick medical timeout at the Madrid Open before going on to advance to the next round.
On Sunday, April 26, the tennis star, 22, withdrew during the second set of her match against Sorana Cirstea to run to the side of the court and throw up due to a stomach virus that has been making its way around the locker room at the professional tennis tournament.
“I tried to keep my food down but once I threw up, I was able to throw up again after the first set and then I felt a bit better,” Gauff told Sky Sports. “I'm usually someone who doesn't get sick, so my luck today just wasn't good.”
Despite her stroke of bad luck, Gauff still managed to advance to the next round, winning the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Q&A
What happened to Coco Gauff during her match at the Madrid Open?
Coco Gauff vomited during the second set of her match against Sorana Cirstea.
Why did Coco Gauff call for a medical timeout at the Madrid Open?
She called for a medical timeout due to nausea and difficulty keeping food down.
Did Coco Gauff win her match after getting sick?
Yes, despite her illness, Coco Gauff advanced to the next round of the tournament.
Who did Coco Gauff play against in the Madrid Open?
Coco Gauff played against Sorana Cirstea in the Madrid Open.
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Coco Gauff gets sick during Madrid Open on April 26, 2026Credit: David Ramos/Getty
Coco Gauff gets sick during Madrid Open on April 26, 2026
Credit: David Ramos/Getty
While Gauff expressed that she didn't know exactly how she was able to push through, she told the media that “one point turned into another” as she was just trying to finish the match.
"I think I got what everybody else is having here in Madrid, unfortunately,” the athlete said, as seen in a video shared by The First Serve. “Honestly, I was trying not to throw up on the court — that was the main thing. It was a weird feeling today. I don't know how I got through it.”
Gauff did say that, while she immediately felt better after pausing to throw up, she also took some pills that “definitely helped” with the nausea.
“I was really tired,” she admitted. “I could play while being tired. It's just the first part was literally just trying to keep whatever I ate down, and once they gave me something to help with that, then I was just nauseous and tired — but I can deal with that.”
Coco Gauff plays at the Madrid Open on April 26, 2026Credit: David Ramos/Getty
Coco Gauff plays at the Madrid Open on April 26, 2026
Credit: David Ramos/Getty
One day prior to Gauff's mid-game pause, Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Madrid Open while playing the third set of her third-round match against Ann Li due to what was seemingly the same stomach virus, per ESPN.
After requiring a medical timeout, Swiatek, 24, briefly returned to the court before stepping away again in tears.
“I'm sure I'll be fine in a couple of days, but I had zero energy,” she said at the time, per Tennis.com. “I just felt really bad physically and yesterday, even worse.”
“I thought maybe today it's gonna be better, but maybe it was, but not enough to play a match,” she added. “The symptoms are not something you want to hear about.”