Coco Gauff’s BNP Paribas Open campaign at Indian Wells ended in disappointment as she had to withdraw from her third-round match against Alexandra Eala due to pain in her left forearm. The American was trailing 6-2, 2-0 when she decided to retire, as the pain became unbearable.
As the match went on, Gauff’s pain kept intensifying. Although Eala was poised to win the match comfortably, Gauff expressed her desire to finish it, even if it meant losing 6-0 in the second set. The World No. 4 told the media that retiring was the best option to prevent further injury.
The two-time Grand Slam champion added that her team of doctors believes it is a nerve issue that should subside in time for the next WTA 1000 tournament of the Sunshine Swing in Miami. Gauff is seeded fourth in the main draw of the Miami Open.
After the Sunshine Double, the focus will shift to the claycourt season, starting in April and culminating with the French Open in June. While other top-ranked American players have entered the main draw of the Charleston Open, the only WTA claycourt event on U.S. soil (starting March 30), Gauff has not yet indicated whether she will play.
Coco Gauff and Alexandra Eala Share Mutual Respect For Each Other at Indian Wells
After the Gauff’s mid-match retirement, Eala moved on to the round of 16 and expressed both elation for the win and concern about Gauff’s health in the post-game interview.
“I want to say thank you to all the incredible women who have paved the way and who have advocated for themselves and for other women. Among them is Coco,” said Eala. “So thank you, Coco, for being an amazing competitor and amazing role model. I really hope everything is well and you will recover soon.”
Gauff also showed mutual respect for her opponent, congratulating her on advancing to the next round.
“I felt really bad to pull out, you never want to pull out, but more so for her because she was playing great tennis, and I don’t want to take anything away from the way that she was playing,” Gauff said.
“I’d rather finish the match and lose 6-0, but at that point, I just felt that because the pain was getting worse and I didn’t know what was going on. I just felt it was better to stop,” she added.
The tennis fraternity will closely monitor all the latest updates surrounding the 22-year-old, as the Miami Open nears commencement.
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