In the early stages of the second set in her second-round match, Ons Jabeur reached for a ball that was just out of her grasp and lost the point. Normally, Jabeur, the No. 5 seed, would have easily returned the ball, but she has been playing while under the weather.
Jabeur, who made it to the U.S. Open final last year, is just one of several players who have had to deal with some sort of illness during this year’s tournament. Dominic Thiem of Austria retired from his second-round match due to what appeared to be a stomach issue. Emil Ruusuvuori withdrew from the tournament before his first-round match due to an unspecified illness. Tennys Sandgren, who did not make it past the qualifiers, mentioned on Twitter that he fell ill after returning home from the tournament.
Sandgren humorously referred to it as the “US Open bug” and admitted that it still felt like he was part of the tournament even though he was at home.
It’s not just the players who have been affected. ESPN commentator John McEnroe revealed that he tested positive for the coronavirus after feeling unwell.
It is unclear if all the players have the same illness or if their cases are connected, but there is definitely something going around at the U.S. Open. During matches, players like Hubert Hurkacz have been seen struggling and receiving medical treatment for non-physical injuries. Sniffles and coughs can be heard around the tennis grounds, and some players have even been seen carrying tissues in their bags.
This wave of illnesses coincides with a recent increase in coronavirus infections across the United States, particularly in the Northeast and the West. While it’s possible to get sick at any tournament where players are often in close proximity to each other, the lack of mandatory Covid-19 testing makes it difficult to determine the exact cause of these illnesses.
Health protocols at the U.S. Open have become less strict compared to last year. In 2020, spectators were not allowed at the tournament, and players had to wear face masks on empty courts. When fans were allowed to return this year, they initially had to show proof of vaccination. However, that requirement has been dropped, and attendees no longer need to provide proof of vaccination, a negative test, or wear masks.
After a grueling first-round victory, Jabeur revealed that she had the flu. In her second-round match, she continued to struggle, frequently coughing on court, even during her post-match interview. Jabeur mentioned in a news conference that she had been sick for about a week and had been taking various medications prescribed by the U.S. Open doctors.
Although Jabeur claimed that her stomach was fine, she acknowledged that other players were experiencing stomach issues. She was unsure if it was the flu or something else that had affected her. It remains unclear whether Jabeur took a coronavirus test to rule out the possibility of infection before her third-round match against Marie Bouzkova.
Despite her illness, Jabeur is determined to continue competing and referred to herself as a “zombie” due to the flu.
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