MADRID — A new adversary is testing the resilience of tennis stars at the Madrid Open.
A nasty stomach bug or possible food poisoning has sidelined Coco Gauff, Marin Cilic, and several others, leading to rising concerns in the tournament.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka narrowly dodged an upset from Naomi Osaka and highlighted her strategy of sticking to a basic diet consisting of chicken breast, rice, and salad to steer clear of illness.
Whispers among players suggest that tainted shrimp tacos were the source of the problem.
Sabalenka knocked on wood, chuckling, “So far, so good. I heard to stay away from those tacos! I’m sticking to the same meals I’ve had since the tournament kicked off.”
Taking precautions, Sabalenka has been minimizing her time at the Caja Magica tennis complex.
“I try not to linger too long,” she added. “Extra vitamin C, some IM8, and I should be fine, fingers crossed!”
Gauff fought through nausea, even vomiting on the court during her victory over Sorana Cirstea. Luckily, she showed no signs of illness during her hard-fought match against Linda Noskova, ultimately falling 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (5).
Cilic was unable to compete against João Fonseca on Friday due to his illness.
“Unfortunately, I’m dealing with food poisoning,” Cilic revealed. “I spent the night trying to recover, but my body is just too drained to perform at my best.”
In a thrilling fourth-round encounter, Sabalenka came back from a set and a break down to conquer Osaka.
She triumphed over the No. 15 seed, winning 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2 in a nail-biting 2-hour and 20-minute match, remaining on course to defend her title.
“Oh my goodness, that was an amazing match,” exclaimed Sabalenka. “Naomi played some incredible tennis. I feel fortunate to have hit a few lucky shots in the third set, which helped turn the tide. I’m thrilled she brought such intensity; I had to elevate my game.”
Extending her winning streak to 15 matches, Sabalenka also marked her 17th successive quarterfinal appearance, not faltering at this stage since February 2025 in Dubai. She emphasized the encouragement from her team to “keep fighting and pushing forward.”
“I’m really glad I didn’t throw in the towel and kept pushing until the very last point,” Sabalenka reflected.
Longest tiebreaker since 2024
Sabalenka’s next challenge lies with American Hailey Baptiste, who defeated Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-7 (14), 6-3 after an extraordinary set that featured the longest tour-level regular tiebreaker since 2024, according to WTA statistics.
Frustrated after wasting six match points during the tiebreak, Baptiste struck her racket against her leg in a moment of exasperation but managed to secure the win in 2 hours and 42 minutes.
Rybakina’s Line-Calling Controversy
World No. 2 Elena Rybakina expressed her distrust in the electronic line-calling system at Madrid. Following a contentious decision where her opponent, Zheng Qinwen, was awarded an ace, Rybakina pointed out that the mark on the court clearly indicated the ball was out. The umpire sided with the system, prompting Rybakina to voice her concerns.
“With this system, I won’t trust it at all,” Rybakina stated. “There wasn’t even a mark close to what the TV showed.”
She argued that the mismatch was akin to a controversy that involved men’s player Alexander Zverev last year in Madrid, where he famously took a picture on his phone of a disputed mark. Zverev was warned for unsportsmanlike conduct afterwards.
“You just can’t ignore what you can clearly see,” Rybakina lamented. “It feels like a stolen point. I get it was her serve and she was serving well, but it’s exceedingly frustrating.”
Jódar: The Last Hope for Spain
With Daniel Mérida falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-2, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina losing to defending champion Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-1, only 19-year-old Rafael Jódar remains to carry the Spanish flag in the tournament.
A promising talent, Jódar required three sets to defeat fellow teen sensation Fonseca.
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, Spain’s top player, withdrew from the event due to a right wrist injury.
An extraordinary rally characterized the match between Ruud and Davidovich Fokina, featuring the latter executing no less than 15 successive lob shots to the back of the court.
The high returns in a gripping 32-shot rally prevented Ruud from launching an assault until one shot fell short, allowing him to hit a decisive forehand to clinch the point.
In another match, Francisco Cerundolo claimed a point after reaching over the net to intercept a high return, which spun back into Luciano Darderi’s court. Cerundolo ultimately secured the win with a score of 6-2, 6-3.
