Illness has quickly become the biggest tennis story of the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open. It has claimed many big names forced to withdraw. Madison Keys, Marin Cilic, and Iga Swiatek have already exited the tournament prematurely because of it.
On Sunday, Liudmila Samsonova withdrew before her third round match against Linda Noskova.
Coco Gauff battled through sickness to defeat Sorana Cirstea, but it was touch-and-go during the three set match. After the match, she hinted to Cirstea that if she wanted to tap racquets instead of shaking hands, that would be okay. Cirstea opted for the quick handshake.
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Why is everyone sick at this yearâs Mutua Madrid Open?
The locker rooms are petri dishes for germs to circulate. In the earlier rounds, there are many players around and in close proximity to one another.
Jim Courier said on Tennis Channel that one culprit was food poisoning which Cilic cited when he withdrew.
Courier somehow knows that shrimp tacos seemingly served onsite were the issue. It is unclear if that is the cause for everyoneâs sickness, but it could be a contributing factor.
The pollen and blooms blowing on the clay court while the players are in action does not help if the illnesses are sinus-related.
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More to winning than defeating opponent on court
The illness epidemic underscores how difficult it is for tennis players to win big tournaments. Not only are they facing the opponents on the court, but they also have to deal with the conditions, frequent travel, climate changes, and everything else associated with traveling for their jobs 11 months every year. They are some of the best endurance athletes on the planet.
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