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With the exits of Ben Shelton, Alexander Zverev, Frances Tiafoe, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, and Tommy Paul, Acapulco’s second-round matches have been nothing short of catastrophic. As it turns out, for many players, food poisoning has been the culprit for their no-shows.
Zverev, Ruud, Paul, Rune, and Shelton were the top five seeds at the 2025 Mexican Open in Acapulco, in that order. The German started his campaign with a hard-fought three-set win against Matteo Arnaldi in the first round. Meanwhile, Ruud secured a routine straight-sets win against Arthur Rinderknech.
Tommy Paul made a dominant start against qualifier Gabriel Diallo, while Holger Rune and Ben Shelton put on convincing performances against Roberto Carballes Baena and Flavio Cobolli, respectively.
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Tiafoe, who was the next highest seed, also began his campaign with a straight-sets win against an in-form Alexandre Muller. Things, however, fell apart for all six players in the second round on Wednesday, February 26.
Alexander Zverev storms out of the stadium as he, Ben Shelton, and Frances Tiafoe lose to lower ranked players
Despite his resilient display in the opening round, Ben Shelton was unable to win a single set in his second match against David Goffin. The former World No. 7 came out with all guns blazing to put up with the American’s challenge, eventually beating him 7-6(3), 6-3.
Shelton angrily smashed his racket against his knee after shaking hands with his opponent.
Frances Tiafoe, meanwhile, failed to keep pace with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who has produced some noteworthy results of late. Tiafoe staged a mini comeback in the second set after losing the first but was ultimately eliminated (3-6, 7-6(8), 6-3).
Alexander Zverev was the biggest upset of the day. The top seed, who won the title in 2021, fell to American teenager Learner Tien in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. Narrating the bizarre incident that followed the shocking loss, tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg said:
"He (Alexander Zverev) was announced for a win-or-lose press conference but instead walked straight out of the ATP 500 Acapulco stadium and into a car to ride away into the night, while Tien was still on court."
Rothenberg said the World No. 2 was likely to be slapped with a fine for his no-show.
"Zverev should be getting a fine today to add to his woes."
Casper Ruud, Tommy, Paul, Holger Rune fight a stomach bug
Tommy Paul was the first player to withdraw from the second round of the Mexican Open in Acapulco. The American, who was the finalist in 2023, decided against competing just hours before his match against compatriot Marcos Giron, citing stomach illness.
Meanwhile, Holger Rune made a sudden decision to retire after playing just three games in his match against Brandon Nakashima, 0-3 (ret.). The player said he was “furious and sad” while addressing his retirement on social media. Rune added that he was down with food poisoning, which hampered his chances of continuing.
"Furious and so sad at the same time," Holger Rune wrote on X.
"Had a food poisoning and was unable to play today," he added. "Absolutely not the way I wanted it to end."
Just moments later, Casper Ruud announced that he had forfeited his place at the tournament due to “stomach illness” after failing to recover in time for his match.
"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," he wrote on Instagram minutes before he was slated to face budding local Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez.
This is not the first time that tennis players have endured health issues at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco.
How Taylor Fritz braved illness to complete his Acapulco match against Tommy Paul 2 years ago
Taylor Fritz was expected to be the second seed at the ongoing event. He, however, pulled out just days before the tournament, citing an abdominal injury.
The American’s best result has been a runner-up finish in 2020. Luck hasn’t been on his side in the past few editions, though.
In 2023, Fritz was handed a painful 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(2) defeat by his good friend Tommy Paul in the semifinals. During the match, he was spotted throwing up courtside as he struggled to stay upright. Following the loss, his girlfriend, Morgan Riddle, revealed that he was “severely dehydrated.”
"After he got sick on court last night, we were up until 4 am with the tournament doctors. He couldn't keep any food down, chills, severe dehydration, full body cramping & almost had to go to the hospital. So scary. He is too stubborn to default and pushed himself too hard & these high humidity tournaments are no joke," Riddle said at the time.
In 2024, Riddle again accompanied Taylor Fritz to the Mexican Open. The couple’s sickness woes continued in this edition. After the World No. 4 was beaten by Matteo Arnaldi in the first round, his partner wrote on Instagram:
"(I don’t know) why I continue to come to Mexico when I half die literally every time."
"When you were in the bathroom the entire time you were in Mexico but about to come back to LA absolutely snatched," she added.
Following their Acapulco exits, Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Tommy Paul, Holger Rune, Ben Shelton, and Frances Tiafoe are expected to resume their campaigns at the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells (March 2-16). Taylor Fritz, too, will feature in the lineup as he chases his second trophy at the tournament.
