"Threw up over 20x’s last night" - NCAA former champ Peyton Stearns reveals fighting through bout of sickness to reach doubles SF at China Open

Doubles partners Peyton Stearns and Magda Linette booked their spot in the semifinals of the 2023 China Open on Thursday, October 5.

The duo was up against Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia and Russia's Veronika Kudermetova. They faced a 1-6 loss in the first set but fought back and won the second-set tiebreak. Stearns and Linette kept their momentum up and won the match 1-6, 7-6(3), 10-8.

Peyton Stearns took to Twitter to share the news of the win with tennis fans. She admitted to having been sick the previous night and throwing up repeatedly. She used a popular line from a meme to express her emotions.

"threw up over 20x’s last night….Never back down never what?!" wrote the former NCAA champion.

Fans reacted to her post with concern and wished for her speedy recovery. They admired the 21-year-old's fighting spirit and wished her well for her upcoming match.

Stearns and Linette will next face Chan Hao-Ching and Giuliana Olmos in the semifinals of the tournament.

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NCAA former champion Peyton Stearns' run at the US Open 2023

Peyton Stearns at the 2023 US Open

Peyton Stearns is experiencing her first full season on the tour since turning pro in 2022. The American shone in her debut at this year's US Open, reaching as far as the Round of 16.

Stearns opened her US Open campaign with a straight-set victory over Viktoriya Tomova. She defeated Clara Tauson with a commanding 6-3, 6-0 win in the second round.

The former NCAA champion faced Katie Boulter in the third round. Stearns won and booked her spot in the fourth round without dropping a set.

She faced her toughest challenge of the tournament in the form of reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. Although Stearns was able to take a set off the World No. 8, her US Open campaign came to an end with a scoreline of 7-6(3), 3-6, 2-6.

With consistent performances, Stearns, who started the year outside of the Top 200, has rapidly risen to the Top 50. In an interview at the US Open, she spoke of keeping her focus.

"At the start of this year, I told myself by the end of the year, I wanted to be in the Top 100. That happened I think in March or April, so it happened pretty quickly. Then I told myself I wanted to be Top 75, and that happened pretty quickly. Once I cracked that, I told myself I wanted to be top 50. Now I have to make a new goal," she said. (via WTA)

Pyton Stearns is currently ranked at No. 46.