The Mexican Open faced a setback on Wednesday as food poisoning led to several top-seeded players withdrawing before or during their matches.

Casper Ruud and Tommy Paul were unable to compete in their last-16 matches, allowing their opponents to advance to the quarter-finals without playing.

Meanwhile, fourth seed Holger Rune managed only three games before retiring, later confirming that he, too, was affected by food poisoning.

“Furious and so sad at the same time. Had a food poisoning and was unable to play today,” the 21-year-old tweeted.

“One of my favorite places is Mexico and I love this tournament @AbiertoTelcel . Absolutely not the way I wanted it to end.”

Third-seeded Tommy Paul withdrew from the Acapulco tournament due to stomach issues, while World No. 5 Casper Ruud revealed he had been dealing with an illness for the past day.

Sharing the news on Instagram, the three-time Grand Slam finalist wrote, “I’m so sorry I had to pull out tonight.”

“I was hoping to overcome this stomach illness that showed up yesterday and tried everything I could to be able to play tonight, until the very last moment.”

The tournament saw more big names exit on Wednesday, as top seed Alexander Zverev was upset in straight sets by teenage qualifier Learner Tien. Reports suggested Zverev may have also been affected by food poisoning.

Rising American talent Alex Michelsen fell to Denis Shapovalov in three sets, calling for a trainer during the match due to what appeared to be an illness.

Meanwhile, fifth seed Ben Shelton was eliminated by David Goffin, though his loss was not believed to be illness-related.

Following the wave of withdrawals and upsets in Acapulco, organizers of the MGM Rewards Slam exhibition in Las Vegas postponed this weekend’s men’s event. Zverev, Ruud, and Paul, who were all scheduled to compete, are now thought to be dealing with food poisoning. Taylor Fritz was also in the lineup but had already pulled out earlier in the week due to an abdominal injury.

The four top players were originally set to face off in Las Vegas on Sunday, but a new date for the event has not been announced. However, the MGM Rewards Slam women’s match between Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka will still take place on Saturday.

Former world No. 21 Steve Johnson has raised doubts about Novak Djokovic’s “plan,” questioning the Serbian’s decision to compete at the Qatar Open.

Djokovic suffered a 7-6(4), 6-2 defeat to Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the ATP 500 event in Doha last week. His participation in Qatar came shortly after a hamstring tear forced him out of the Australian Open.

The 37-year-old sustained the injury during his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne but was unable to continue past the opening set of his semi-final clash with Alexander Zverev.

Despite Djokovic insisting he felt fine following his early exit in Doha, a video surfaced showing him limping at the airport.

With his sights set on a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title and his 100th career singles title in 2025, Djokovic’s recent form has raised concerns. Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, Johnson noted that the world No. 7 has appeared emotionally flat more frequently in recent times.

“I am not sure what Novak’s plan is going forward, nobody knows it but him,” the American said. “I don’t know why he is playing this tournament just in general.

“It feels like he just wants to win Slams to continue his legacy and stamp as the greatest champion of the sport we have ever seen.

“There is obviously financial obligations and commitments he has made in the past, we don’t know exactly what it takes for him to play these types of events.

“It just feels as if he is not as motivated to win in Dubai or Doha than he is to win a Slam, which is rightfully so, because that’s the only thing which can further his legacy.

“Good to see him out there playing, I thought we weren’t going to see him until Indian Wells and just play some of the Masters series to win the French [Open], win Wimby [Wimbledon]. So interesting to see him out there.

“It sometimes feels that he is a bit flat emotionally, which has usually never been the case for him.

“So he has earned the right to play whatever schedule he deserves and wants to do.

“It’s a tough draw going against Berrettini who played really well that match, the serve, the forehand. Everything was going well.

“So it’s just interesting to watch Novak in these events because the Doha title is not going to further his legacy, so I’m not sure his emotional investment.”

Australian tennis player Destanee Aiava was recently seen hurling a chair at a wall after losing the final of a W75 tournament in Prague.

The incident sparked discussions, especially after Aiava abruptly deleted one of her social media accounts following some concerning statements.

On Sunday, February 23, the 24-year-old Australian faced off against Czech player Gabriela Knutson in the ITF W75 final in Prague. Aiava suffered a narrow defeat, falling 4-6, 6-3, 5-7. Frustrated by the loss, she reacted by grabbing a courtside chair and throwing it against a wall immediately after the match.

Watch the moment Destanee Aiava unleashed her frustration by throwing a chair following her hard-fought three-set defeat in the W75 final:

An online tennis forum later reported that Aiava’s fiancé, former player Corey Gaal, who was present at the match, had to step in to console and calm her down after the incident.

Shortly after the match, Aiava took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce her decision to retire from tennis. She revealed that her choice was driven by the constant hate messages and death threats she had been receiving from critics following her losses.

“I’ve made the executive decision to retire due to receiving hate msgs/comments and death threats after every single loss,” Aiava wrote.

However, in a concerning turn of events, Aiava later deleted her X account entirely, though her Instagram and YouTube profiles remain active.

Destanee Aiava shared some of her off-court experiences in Prague after losing W75 final

On YouTube, Destanee Aiava uploaded a vlog documenting her recent experiences in Prague. Throughout the nearly 14-minute video, she appeared cheerful and upbeat, even posing with the runner-up trophy she received after finishing second in the final.

She also visited neighboring Slovakia, sharing moments from her trip through Instagram Stories. However, Aiava has yet to confirm whether she has truly decided to retire from tennis.

Concerns about Aiava’s well-being stem from her struggles with mental health over the years. In 2022, she attempted to take her own life but was saved by the intervention of three strangers. Later that year, she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

Earlier in 2025, Aiava had a solid run at the Australian Open, successfully navigating the qualifying rounds to secure a spot in the main draw of a Major for the first time. However, her journey in Melbourne ended in the second round after a loss to Danielle Collins.

Madison Keys jumps to career-high ranking despite not playing since Australian Open, prompting praise for Chris Evert

Madison Keys stunned the tennis world by capturing the 2025 Australian Open title, and despite not playing a match since her triumph in Melbourne, the American continues to climb the WTA rankings.

The Illinois native secured a hard-fought victory over two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final, overcoming a late comeback to win in three sets. This marked her second appearance in a Grand Slam final, having previously finished as runner-up at the 2017 US Open to fellow American Sloane Stephens.

Following her triumph at the Happy Slam, Keys returned to her previous career-high ranking of World No.7. However, the 30-year-old decided to take a break, skipping both WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Dubai.

Despite her absence, Keys still managed to rise in the rankings after the WTA 1000 event in Dubai, benefitting from several unexpected results to reach a new career-best ranking of World No.5.

Among those celebrating her achievement was former World No.1 Chris Evert, who took to social media to congratulate her compatriot.

“Congratulations Maddy, well deserved, keep going!” wrote Evert on Twitter.

Keys now joins fellow Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the top five, marking the first time in over two decades that three American women have simultaneously held top-five spots in the WTA rankings.