The Sunshine Double already ignited at the Indian Wells Open as Matteo Berrettini battled to a gritty 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 first-round victory over Adrian Mannarino on Wednesday. Moments later, the Italian collapsed to the court in visible pain, sitting for nearly five minutes while the ATP supervisor and physio attended him. Afterward, he revealed a virus had struck him, an unsettling concern now echoed across the locker room.

Speaking after the thriller, Berrettini said, “I fought really hard, until the very last point,” Berrettini said in his on-court interview. The win pushed him into the next round of the tournament.

Berrettini will now face fourth seed Alexander Zverev. However, the match revealed that the Italian had not been feeling at his best physically.

Explaining the situation, he said, “At the beginning of the third [set], I started to feel a little bit of cramping. I was a little bit surprised at the beginning, but then I remembered that I was sick until three days ago, so I was like, ‘Okay, it’s normal’.”

Berrettini’s illness may not be an isolated case at this year’s tournament. Reports suggest that several players around the locker room have been dealing with similar symptoms.

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According to information shared by Edge AI, Zizou Bergs was also affected. Bergs recently defeated Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets in the opening round.

After the match, Bergs’ father reportedly said that the Belgian player was also unwell. He mentioned that Bergs was sick and that a virus appeared to be circulating among players.

To be honest, health issues during the Sunshine Double are not entirely new. Over the years, several players have experienced flu or virus outbreaks during the event.

A notable example came in 2012, long before the tournament faced disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, a widespread illness outbreak affected numerous competitors.

As players arrived in the Coachella Valley for the opening leg of the Sunshine Swing, early warning signs began to appear. Several top ATP and WTA players started feeling unwell.

Initially, athletes reported flu-like symptoms and stomach problems. At first, it seemed like the usual travel-related illness that sometimes affects players on tour.

However, the symptoms soon appeared more serious. Players complained of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and chills, forcing several to withdraw before the tournament even began.

Among those affected were Nikolay Davydenko, Jurgen Melzer, Vania King, Gael Monfils, Francesca Schiavone, Vera Zvonareva, Mike Bryan, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Andreas Seppi, and Magdalena Rybarikova.

“Just spent one of the worst nights of my life (gruesome details), fever, vomiting, diarrhea..all at the same time… caught a bug from someone,” King tweeted.

The outbreak quickly gained attention within the tennis world. Some people jokingly called the event the “BNP Parasite Open.”

Even Judy Murray joined the conversation on social media. She famously referred to the tournament as “Indian UnWells.”

Interestingly, even the eventual champions showed signs of illness. Victoria Azarenka and Roger Federer both reported symptoms during the tournament.

During a press conference, Federer appeared pale and spoke with a hoarse voice. He also revealed that his family was struggling with the illness as well.

“We’re fighting something of our own in our family,” said Federer. “I have a bit of a combination. Not terrible temperature, but I have some things going on.”

Incidents like these show that health scares have appeared at Indian Wells before. With new reports of illness emerging again, concerns around player health at the tournament have started to grow once more.

Stomach Flu outbreak disrupts the Indian Wells Open in 2003

Even before the recent concerns in 2026 and the well-known outbreak in 2012, the Indian Wells Open faced a similar health scare back in 2003. A flu bug disrupted matches at the combined WTA and ATP Masters Series event. Several players fell ill before and during their matches.

The illness quickly spread across the locker room. Many competitors reported stomach problems and weakness while trying to compete in the tournament.

At that time, Marat Safin revealed that the illness affected his performance. Safin said the virus slowed him down during his 6-4, 6-3 victory over Mark Philippoussis in R32.

After the match, Safin openly spoke about how sick he had been the previous night. “I had no power because I was very sick last night,” Safin said. “I was sick to my stomach, throwing up, and I had a fever.”

Even then, tournament director Sam Reber explained that several players had reported symptoms during the event.

“There have been 11 players so far in the tournament that have complained of stomach pain, weakness, and dizziness,” he added. “Some have been able to continue, and some have had symptoms that have forced them to withdraw. This appears to be a flu-related illness and not any food-related illness.”

The situation worsened as the tournament progressed. Several players eventually had to withdraw because of stomach sickness.

Among them were Gaston Gaudio, Felix Mantilla, and Jarkko Nieminen. Their withdrawals highlighted how widespread the illness had become.

Now in 2026, early signs of illness have once again appeared during the opening rounds of the tournament. Fans and players alike hope that competitors stay healthy as Indian Wells moves deeper into the later stages.