Andy Roddick Slams ‘Psycho’ Trolls After Coco Gauff’s Madrid Open Illness Incident
Coco Gauff is now set to headline the Italian Open.
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Coco Gauff and Andy Roddick (via X/Coco Gauff fan/Forbes)
- Andy Roddick defended Coco Gauff against online trolls who accused her of faking an illness during the Madrid Open.
- Gauff faced a severe stomach virus affecting many players but still managed to win her match against Sorana Cirstea.
- Despite her performance, Gauff received racist comments online, prompting her to address the negativity on social media.
The tennis world received a major dose of reality about Coco Gauff following her controversial campaign at the Madrid Open. Now, former US Open champion Andy Roddick vehemently defended the American star against online critics who accused her of faking a mid-match illness.
The backlash stemmed from a grueling third-round clash against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, where a visibly unwell Gauff was forced to vomit on the sidelines during the second set.
Rather than receiving sympathy amid a widely reported stomach bug sweeping the locker room, the young phenom faced a barrage of baseless accusations and racist remarks from disgruntled bettors, highlighting the increasingly toxic intersection of sports gambling and social media.
Addressing the bizarre situation on his “Served Media” podcast, Roddick blasted the conspiratorial narrative surrounding the American standout. The tennis Hall of Famer did not hold back, questioning the fundamental logic of the trolls and praising Gauff’s father, Corey, for stepping in to defend his daughter against the online mob. Roddick said on Served podcast:
Online idiocy is sometimes undefeated. There are a lot of memes are like great. There is a lot of value but also what has Coco ever done to make us think that she is going to like grandstand on an injury. All she does is show up in the best of times and the worst of times. Like always. Someone physically vomiting into a bush what does that get you? Let’s just say that she was faking, let’s just entertain this psycho for a second, and I am glad Corey got in there. But what does it get Coco? All it does is show her opponent that she might be tired. It doesn’t do anything. Faking it doesn’t do anything.
Gauff will now travel to the Italian Open, the final big tournament before Roland Garros. Gauff is the defending champion at the French Open, beating Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s final.
The reality of the Madrid Open virus
The accusations against Coco Gauff were particularly baffling given the broader context of the tournament. The Madrid Open locker room was effectively a biohazard zone this year, with a severe stomach virus impacting over 30 players across the men’s and women’s draws.
Top-tier talents like Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, and Liudmila Samsonova all withdrew or suffered significant setbacks due to the same illness. Even Jannik Sinner publicly admitted he was altering his daily routine, arriving late and leaving early, just to avoid catching the widespread bug in the dining areas.
Despite severe nausea, Gauff managed to call a medical timeout, regroup, and orchestrate a stunning comeback against Cirstea, ultimately winning the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. She later told reporters that once she was finally able to keep her food down after the first set, she felt marginally better, though her luck in avoiding the notorious “Madrid stomach virus” had clearly run out.
Coco Gauff: Battling the online noise
Unfortunately, Coco Gauff‘s gritty on-court performance was immediately overshadowed by the digital vitriol waiting for her in the locker room. Following her eventual exit in the next round to Linda Noskova, Gauff’s social media accounts were flooded with hostile messages.
Never one to back down, Gauff confronted the trolls head-on. She posted on her Instagram story that “angry gamblers are saying racist things in my IG comments/dms, hiding behind anonymous accounts,” pairing her statement with lyrics from rapper Young M.A to brush off the hate from people who were clearly just upset about losing their parlays.
Looking ahead, the American star is stepping away from the noise to focus on her physical recovery. Gauff will use the next few weeks to reset her system, find her rhythm on the dirt, and block out the online negativity as she prepares for a grueling title defense campaign at the upcoming French Open starting May 24.
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