Iga Swiatek in frame. (WTA)
Former world number 1, Iga Swiatek, was forced to withdraw from the Mutua Madrid Open after suffering from an illness in her round-of-32 match against Ann Li on Saturday. The fourth seed, Swiatek, dropped the opening set to the 31st seed Li but surged to a 4-0 advantage in the second set, claiming 16 of 21 points en route to winning that set in 39 minutes.
The six-time Grand Slam Champion appeared to be unwell throughout and requested a medical timeout while trailing 2-0 in the final third set. She came back to the court after a medical check but withdrew after Li maintained her serve.
This is Swiatek’s earliest exit in five Madrid appearances, where she claimed the title in 2024.
She defeated Daria Snigur in straight sets on Thursday, but mentioned on Saturday that she had been feeling unwell for the last two days.
“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 and zero stability and just felt really bad physically, and yesterday even worse,” Swiatek said after Saturday’s match.
The former World number 1 experienced a viral illness as she ran out of energy during the match, which forced her to withdraw from the match.
Iga Swiatek officially retired due to a gastrointestinal viral illness. In her post-match press conference, she described her condition over the previous 48 hours as “terrible,” noting that she had been suffering from a virus that was reportedly circulating among players at the tournament site.
Swiatek lost the first set but made a serious comeback to win the second set. She withdrew from the tournament after trailing in the third and final set.
Medical Timeline: Swiatek experienced illness for two days before the match, but chose to attempt playing.
During the Match: After dropping the first set tiebreak and taking the second set, her energy “plummeted significantly” in the third. She mentioned experiencing dizziness, lack of coordination, and physical weakness.
As the 2024 Madrid champion, Swiatek was defending 1,000 points. This early exit will result in a significant points drop, further distancing her from the World No. 1 spot currently held by Aryna Sabalenka. The withdrawal is a blow to her rhythm ahead of Roland Garros (starting May 24). However, Swiatek expressed optimism that she would be fine in a “couple of days”.
(with agencies’ inputs)
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Vishal Pushkar is a Chief Sub-Editor with NewsX and has been associated with the company since March 2026. He has been working as a journalist since 2021. His experience includes working with Zee Media, Amazon and Dainik Jagran. Vishal holds a BA (English Honours) degree from Shyam Lal College, University of Delhi and a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi. Vishal has completed a beginner’s course in the German language as well.
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