Shrimp taco gate: Coco Gauff throws up on court and multiple players withdraw from Madrid Open with food poisoning
WTASunday, 26 April 2026 at 13:51
There has been a wave of illness spreading at the Madrid Open with multiple players looking off colour on court or withdrawing due to illness and Jim Courier had a likely theory behind why.
Courier was speaking on Tennis Channel last night and said that it is down he believes to the shrimp tacos that players had been eating in the players restaurant which has seen multiple players struck down.
This includes Iga Swiatek who had to withdraw in tears against Ann Li and had to have her vitals tested post match. While Marin Cilic has also been forced to give a walkover due to illness.
Liudmila Samsonova was a latest example this morning as she withdrew handing Linda Noskova a bye through to the Last 16 where ironically she awaits Coco Gauff who was seen throwing up on court during her win over Sorana Cirstea.
Gauff throws up on court
She managed to survive a scare against the Romanian to move through but to say that she was 100% was certainly not the case as she languidly moved through. But Madison Keys is also on that list of players who have had to withdraw. Clara Tauson was not due to the fact she withdrew due to a shoulder injury.
But it seems like there is a virus going around and Gauff is the latest to have issues with it and soldiered through but this could in theory benefit Noskova who could then manage to move through twice either through victory or walkover to the Quarter-Finals due to shrimp tacos.
Coco Gauff is through with illness though.
Last year in Acapulco on the ATP side, there was a similar situation where players went out one by one due to food poisoning and many of the top names fell foul and it seems like Madrid is the latest to have this problem.
It remains to be seen if there are any other cases and whether Courier's musing about the shrimp tacos prove to be correct but given that players are dropping like flies this week, it certainly will have some credence to it as we move into the latter stages.
Jim Courier said on Tennis Channel this evening that what is getting so many players sick was bad shrimp tacos
— Tennis Updates (@TennisUpdates26) April 26, 2026
We've seen both Swiatek and Cilic have to either retire or give a walkover due to illness, hopefully no more.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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