Defeated by Gracheva, Stearns Suffers from E. coli

At the start of this week, Peyton Stearns was eliminated in the first round of the WTA 250 tournament in Austin.

Facing French player Varvara Gracheva, whom the American had defeated a month ago in Cluj-Napoca, Stearns couldn’t replicate her performance from the Romanian tournament and had to concede defeat (6-2, 6-3).

On social media, Stearns provided an update on her health status. She explained that she hasn’t been feeling well for several weeks, but she hopes to be recovered in time for the next major tournament taking place in California at the beginning of March in Indian Wells.

"The past three weeks have been very challenging. I’ve had constant stomach pains, intense fatigue, and numerous trips to the bathroom without knowing what was causing it.

After several tests, I finally discovered that E. coli was the cause of my problems. It was frustrating not knowing what was wrong, but now that I know, I can focus on my recovery.

Fortunately, I’ll have some time to rest and recharge before Indian Wells,” Stearns explained on her X account (formerly Twitter).