Coco Gauff is preparing to defend her French Open title

Gauff Fights Illness to Reach Madrid Open Last 16

Coco Gauff showed remarkable determination at the Madrid Open as she battled a stomach virus to defeat Sorana Cirstea and reach the fourth round.

The American third seed came from a set and a break down to secure a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over the Romanian 25th seed.

Gauff Overcomes Sickness During Match

Gauff visibly struggled during the second set and was seen vomiting into a courtside bin before requesting a medical timeout.

Despite the physical discomfort, the reigning French Open champion recovered strongly to dominate the deciding set.

After the match, Gauff admitted she was unsure how she managed to win.

“I don’t know honestly.”

She added:

“I think I got what everybody else is having here in Madrid, unfortunately.”

“They gave me some pills, so that definitely helped.”

Illness Affecting Multiple Players in Madrid

Cameron Norrie has won five ATP Tour titles

Several players have reportedly been dealing with illness during the tournament.

Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek retired from her match against Ann Li on Saturday, saying she had “zero stability and zero energy.”

Former US Open champion Marin Cilic withdrew before his second-round clash with Joao Fonseca, while Liudmila Samsonova also pulled out due to illness.

Gauff Sets Up Noskova Clash

Gauff’s victory means she has now reached the Madrid Open last 16 for the third consecutive year.

She will next face Czech 13th seed Linda Noskova as she continues preparations for the French Open, where she is defending champion.

Last season, Gauff was runner-up in Madrid before later defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the Roland Garros final.

Norrie to Face Sinner

Elsewhere, Britain’s Cameron Norrie defeated Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) to set up a fourth-round meeting with world number one Jannik Sinner.

Sinner extended his winning streak to 19 matches after beating Denmark’s Elmer Moller 6-2, 6-3.

Norrie said: