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Coco Gauff described how difficult it has been for players to remain healthy at the Madrid Open this year after she reached the fourth round despite vomiting on court and struggling with a virus that appears to have torn through the locker room.

“I think I got a little cocky because I’ve been at tournaments where there were viruses and I never got it,” she said. “I saw it going around, I was like, ‘I’m not going to get it.’ And then here I am. I think it’s hard because you don’t know who’s sick, who’s not. I do a good job at using hand sanitiser and washing my hands and wiping my [training] mats and stuff before I use them. But sometimes some things are just hard to avoid when you’re all in a big building like this and have to pass each other and use the same equipment. Hopefully everybody’s all good by Rome.”

For the first few rounds of the Madrid Open, the focus has been on the various retirements and withdrawals due to illness, with Madison Keys, Liudmila Samsonova and Marin Cilic all prematurely ending their tournaments. The Frenchman Corentin Moutet said he was sick after his second-round loss and the former No 1 Karolina Pliskova also said she had been feeling under the weather during her 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (3) win over the 19th seed Elise Mertens.

The most high profile retirement so far was Iga Swiatek, who registered just her second career retirement in her third-round match against Ann Li. “There is something going on between players that the virus is somewhere on site, so I’m sure I’ll be fine in a couple of days, but I had zero energy and zero stability,” said Swiatek.

Gauff had appeared to be heading for a similar fate when she vomited while trailing Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 3-4. She sought out the trainer, who provided medication to manage her nausea, and she recovered to secure a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 win.

It is not uncommon for viruses to spread between players at tournaments, where they share many communal areas and training equipment. Earlier rumours attributed the illnesses to shrimp tacos served in the player dining area but players have been told that the event has been affected by a general virus around the city.

“I didn’t eat the shrimp, so I don’t think it was that,” said Gauff, smiling. “I think it’s just a virus going around between the city, and then I think the players got it. I think I got it from another player that was sick and their locker’s close to mine, so I probably got it from that player. But, yeah, what can you do except just try to get through it? It’s the first time I’ve gotten sick since I’ve been on tour, so I’m not too upset. It’s, like, whatever.”