Stomach bug disrupts Mexican Open, 3 top seeds withdraw
A sudden illness forces leading players to exit the Mexican Open tournament, leaving organizers and fans in dismay.
The Mexican Open in Acapulco has been thrown into turmoil as a sudden stomach bug sweeps through the player roster, leading to the withdrawal of several top seeds. Second seed Casper Ruud, last year’s finalist, pulled out of his match against Rodrigo Pacheco Méndez, citing illness. Similarly, third seed Tommy Paul withdrew before his match with Marcos Giron due to comparable symptoms. Fourth seed Holger Rune managed to start his match against Brandon Nakashima but retired early, attributing his condition to food poisoning.
The illness hasn’t spared other top contenders. Top seed Alexander Zverev suffered a surprising defeat to American teenager Learner Tien, while fifth seed Ben Shelton fell to David Goffin. Seventh seed Frances Tiafoe was also eliminated, losing to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. These unexpected exits have dramatically altered the tournament’s dynamics, leaving the field wide open for lower-seeded players and underdogs to make deep runs.
Tournament organizers have yet to issue an official statement regarding the outbreak, and the source of the illness remains unidentified. The sudden wave of withdrawals has raised concerns about health and safety protocols at the event. As the competition progresses, players and officials are on high alert, hoping to prevent further incidents and ensure the tournament can continue without additional disruptions.
Inside the Baseline…
When something like this sweeps through a tournament, it’s a brutal reminder of how unpredictable life on tour can be. You train, you prepare, you do everything right, and then a stomach bug takes you out before you even step on the court. It’s frustrating, not just for the players but for the fans who wanted to see high-quality matches, not withdrawals and retirements. But that’s tennis. It doesn’t wait for you to feel better. And for the ones still standing, this is a golden opportunity because in this sport, survival is sometimes just as important as skill.
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