Coco Gauff Overcomes On-Court Illness to Script Gritty Madrid Open Comeback

World No. 3 Coco Gauff produced a remarkable display of resilience, battling through illness, including vomiting during play, to defeat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea and move into the fourth round of the Madrid Open.

Gauff, last year’s finalist in Madrid, endured a dramatic mid-match struggle before sealing a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory. The American visibly struggled in the second set, at one point even vomiting on court , a moment she later admitted was both physically and mentally challenging.

“When I actually threw up on the court, that was a little bit embarrassing,” Gauff said. “After that, I just felt nauseous and exhausted .”

Despite the setback, she refused to retire and showed strong determination to continue. She battled back from a break down multiple times in the second set, keeping herself alive in the contest even while clearly unwell.

“I don’t like to pull out unless I really have no other options,” she said, explaining her decision to finish the match. Medical support was provided during play, and she confirmed that medication helped ease her condition.

The match came amid broader concerns in Madrid, with fourth-ranked Iga Swiatek also withdrawing from her match due to illness earlier in the tournament, highlighting the physical demands of the conditions.

Gauff eventually regained control in the final set, overpowering Cirstea to complete a memorable comeback win. She will next face 13th seed Linda Noskova in the fourth round.

What stood out was not just the victory, but Gauff’s grit and refusal to quit , turning a health scare into one of her most hard-fought wins of the season.