Iga Swiatek's challenging 2026 season took another difficult turn as she tearfully withdrew from the Madrid Open during her third-round match against Ann Li. The former world number one, who has not advanced past the quarter-finals at any event this year, revealed afterward that she is battling a virus.
Struggles on Court
After dropping the opening two games of the deciding set, Swiatek had her temperature and blood pressure checked. She attempted to continue after taking medication but appeared lethargic and ultimately retired while trailing American Li 6-7 (4) 6-2 0-3 0-30, leaving the court in tears.
“The last two days were pretty terrible,” said the Pole. “I think I have some virus. It’s been some hours fine, some hours pretty bad. I heard there is something going on between players, that the virus is somewhere on site. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a couple of days, but I had zero energy.”
Swiatek acknowledged feeling unwell before the match but chose to compete. “I knew that it was going to be hard but I still wanted to try,” she said. “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.”
Looking Ahead
The fourth seed will now focus on recovery ahead of the Italian Open in Rome next month, where she hopes to find form under new coach Francisco Roig before Roland Garros. “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 added.
Other Results
Two-time grand slam finalist Jasmine Paolini also exited in the third round, losing 7-5 6-3 to American Hailey Baptiste. In the men’s singles, second seed Alexander Zverev overcame a set deficit to defeat Argentina’s Mariano Navone 6-1 3-6 6-3.
Zverev, who could become the second seed at the French Open following Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal due to a wrist injury, expressed disappointment at Alcaraz’s absence. “It’s sad for tennis,” Zverev said. “In my opinion, to win a major, you have to beat the best players in the world. Having them there is the better thing.”
Defending champion Casper Ruud cruised past Spain’s Jaume Munar 6-0 6-1, while third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime also advanced to the third round.
