Iga Swiatek Withdraws from Mutua Madrid Open Due to Illness as Tournament Loses Another Top Name

Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Mutua Madrid Open after falling ill during her round-of-32 match against Ann Li on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The four-time Grand Slam champion lost the first set to Li but had built a 4-0 lead in the second set before experiencing a decline in physical condition. She called for a medical timeout while trailing 2-0 in the deciding third set and returned to the court after being checked by doctors. However, she retired shortly after Li held serve, ending the match.

Swiatek said she had been feeling unwell for the previous two days and noted that she heard reports of a virus circulating among players on site. “I had zero energy and zero stability and just felt really bad physically and yesterday even worse,” she stated after the match. Despite her condition, she said she wanted to try to continue playing.

The withdrawal marks Swiatek’s earliest exit from the Madrid Open in her five appearances at the tournament. She won the title in 2024 but has struggled on clay in recent months, failing to defend her Madrid and Italian Open titles in 2025 and losing in the French Open semifinals that year. So far in the spring 2026 clay court season, she has not won more than one match in two tournaments.

Prior to the match, Swiatek had beaten Daria Snigur in straight sets on Thursday and said she felt confident in her form heading into the event. “On the court before the tournament I felt like I’m playing great, so actually it’s sad for me that I can’t play, because I was feeling really good with my game, and I was moving forward in the process, so, this was positive,” she said.

Ann Li advanced to the next round as a result of Swiatek’s retirement, securing her best result at a WTA 1000 event. The match took place at the Mutua Madrid Open in Madrid, Spain, on the clay courts of the Caja Mágica.