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Iga Świątek suffered a disappointing exit from the 2026 Madrid Open after retiring from her third-round match against Ann Li due to illness. The Polish star was defending her 2024 Madrid title, but her campaign ended earlier than expected on Saturday.
Swiatek was trailing 7-6 (4), 2-6, 3-0 when she decided she could not continue. The match took place during the round of 32 at the prestigious WTA 1000 clay-court event in Madrid.
Her withdrawal surprised many fans, especially because she had looked strong in her second-round win over Daria Snigur just two days earlier.
A Tough Battle Before Retirement
The match started with strong competition from both players. Ann Li played confidently and took the first set in a tight tiebreak, winning 7-6 (4). Swiatek responded like a champion in the second set and leveled the match by winning 6-2.
However, things changed quickly in the deciding set. Li broke early and moved ahead 3-0. Swiatek looked uncomfortable and struggled to maintain her usual movement and rhythm on court.
At 2-0 down in the final set, she requested medical attention and took a timeout.
Medical Assistance and Visible Struggles
During the medical break, Swiatek sat with her head in her hands, clearly feeling unwell. A trainer first came to assess her condition, and later a doctor joined the consultation.
She received medication and returned to continue the match. Still, it became clear that she was not physically ready to compete at her normal level.
After Ann Li held serve to make it 3-0, Swiatek tried to continue but stopped again while serving at 0-30. She then made the difficult decision to retire from the match.
Reuters reported that she left the court in tears after the emotional moment.
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Swiatek Explains Her Illness
After the match, Swiatek shared that she had been dealing with a virus for the past two days. She explained that her condition had been unstable and difficult to manage.
She said, “The past two days were pretty terrible. I think I have some virus.”
She also mentioned having no energy and feeling physically weak. According to Swiatek, there were moments when she felt slightly better, but the illness made it impossible to compete properly.
She added that she had previously won matches while feeling sick, but this time the situation was much worse.
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Big Opportunity for Ann Li
For Ann Li, this victory became one of the most important moments of her career. Ranked No. 34 in the world, she secured only her second career win against a top-10 opponent.
It was also her best result at a WTA 1000 tournament, as she reached the fourth round for the first time.
Li’s previous top-10 win came at the 2022 Miami Open against Anett Kontaveit. Her confidence and composure against Swiatek showed her growing strength on the big stage.
She will now face Leylah Fernandez in the round of 16 after Fernandez defeated Iva Jovic in three sets.
Concerns Before the French Open
Swiatek’s withdrawal raises concerns about her preparation for the upcoming French Open. She has been one of the most dominant players at Roland Garros, winning the title four times, most recently in 2024.
She has not won a clay-court title since that triumph, and many expected Madrid to be the place where she could rebuild momentum.
Now, her next planned event is the Italian Open in Rome, which runs from May 5 to May 17.
Fans will hope she recovers quickly before the French Open main draw begins on May 24.
Iga Swiatek’s retirement from the Madrid Open is a major story in the tennis world. As one of the strongest clay-court players of her generation, any physical issue before Roland Garros becomes important news.
While her early exit is disappointing, health must come first. Tennis fans around the world will now wait to see whether she can return to full strength in time for another French Open title challenge.
