Swiatek Retires from Madrid Open with Virus

Iga Swiatek, the former world number one and fourth seed at the Madrid Open, withdrew tearfully from her third-round match against American Ann Li on Saturday, citing a virus that left her with no energy to continue. The Pole trailed 6-7(4), 6-2, 0-3 when she retired, marking only her second mid-match withdrawal in her career.

Swiatek had her temperature and blood pressure checked by medical staff after dropping the first two games of the deciding set. She took medication and briefly resumed play but appeared lethargic and unsteady. "The last two days were pretty terrible," Swiatek said afterward. "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."

The 22-year-old, who won four Grand Slam titles between 2020 and 2023, fought back strongly after losing a tight first set, even winning the second 6-2. However, symptoms worsened in the third, with Swiatek describing dizziness, lack of coordination and an inability to hydrate. "In the third set I started feeling a little bit dizzy and not really...