“Really, like, shitty, literally”: Iga Swiatek recounts her Madrid illness ahead of Rome return
Iga Swiatek explained her early exit from the Madrid Open in her pre-tournament press conference in Rome, describing the illness that derailed her week and confirming she is back at full training.
Iga Swiatek, Rome 2026
Iga Swiatek arrived in Rome on Monday with the Madrid Open already behind her, and an unusuallycandid account of why it ended early. Speaking at her pre-tournament press conference at the Foro Italico, the four-time Roland-Garros champion did not dress up the past fortnight.
“My Madrid tournament was tough. It was really, like, shitty, literally,” Swiatek said, drawing laughter from the room. “I was completely off the day before the match. The day I played, I was not good, like, no energy at all.”
The Pole was one of several players caught up in the wave of illness that swept through the locker room in Madrid, a stomach bug that produced a string of withdrawals and below-par performances across the draw. Swiatek’s own week ended quickly and quietly, well short of the deep run her early-season form had pointed towards.
The day after, it was a bit better, but still I don’t think I would have been able to play normally.
She chose to stay put rather than travel onwards immediately. “The day after, it was a bit better, but still I don’t think I would have been able to play normally. In two days I was already fine. I recovered. I had some time to stay there and not really travel, because I don’t think it’s safe to travel when you’re so fragile.”
By the time she arrived in Rome, the disruption was behind her. “I was able to practise fully from the beginning, 100%. Quickly I was back. It was really unfortunate timing. Honestly, many players got sick. I don’t think there was anything we could do to avoid it.”
The frustration of losing Madrid sits inside a wider context Swiatek was equally clear about. She had felt encouraged by her tennis there, working into a new coaching partnership with Francisco Roig, and had been hoping to build momentum through the clay swing rather than reset it.
Swiatek : “out of my control”
“I felt really good in Madrid with my game. I felt I had good results before, so I wanted to use the experience and everything. I was for sure disappointed. When things happen out of your control suddenly in tournaments, and you’ve been preparing for days, it’s sad.”
Her framing, though, was pragmatic. “In tennis you have many chances. If not Madrid, the next one. If not here, the next one. We can also quickly refocus on some other goals.”
Rome is the first of those next chances – and historically a happy hunting ground. Seeded fourth, Swiatek has a first-round bye and will open against Caty McNally, a workable launchpad for a player who has won the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
With Roland-Garros three weeks away, the question now is less about how the Madrid week ended than how quickly she can rebuild from it.
