Coco Gauff has revealed that a spider bit her right arm, causing swelling. On Tuesday, February 3, Gauff posted a photo of her swollen arm on Instagram and wrote:
“can’t really tell but my arm is swollen because I got bit by a spider. let’s all hope it was the radioactive kind.”
Gauff will hope it doesn’t interfere with her schedule for February. She is set to participate in two WTA 1000 events: the Qatar Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The 21-year-old is off to a subpar start to the 2026 season, as she suffered a quarterfinal exit at the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. The American lost in straight sets to 12th seed Elina Svitolina, managing just three games in a one-sided affair.
The American made headlines after her loss as she was seen repeatedly smashing her racket in the corridors of the Rod Laver Arena. However, she received strong support from fellow players, who defended her and criticized the organizers for the lack of private spaces for players.
“Bad Days Are Often Caused By Your Opponent” – Coco Gauff Reflects On Her Australian Open QF Loss
In her seventh appearance at the Australian Open, Coco Gauff failed to reach the semifinals, as she lost to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in straight sets.
In her post-match press conference, the American credited her opponent for playing well and forcing mistakes.
“I just felt like all the things I do well, I just wasn’t doing well today. The backhand wasn’t firing. Forehand wasn’t really firing. Returns. There was just a lot that didn’t go well today. I credit it to her because she forced me to play like that. It’s not like I just woke up and, yeah, today was a bad day, but bad days are often caused by your opponent. So she did well,” she said (via CNN).
With this result, Gauff fell from World No. 3 to No. 5. However, she could enter the top 4 soon, given that she doesn’t have too many points to defend in Qatar and Dubai. Last year, she lost in the opening rounds of both tournaments.
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