Coco Gauff penned an inspiring message for German tennis player Eva Lys after the latter highlighted her improvement at the 2026 Charleston Open. Lys picked up an injury at the first Grand Slam of the year.
She suffered a first-round loss to Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open while competing with a nagging injury that affected her forehand and movement. The Kyiv-born star later appeared in the doubles round with her partner, Suzan Lamens.
However, Lys retired during the first set after trailing 5-0 due to a knee injury. She later announced suffering from a hyperextended right knee, keeping her away from competitions for the next few weeks.
The 24-year-old announced her withdrawal from the WTA 500 tournament in Indian Wells, which was held in California, only to make her return at the Miami Open. In Florida, she made an early exit after losing in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, against Yuliia Starodubtseva in the round of 128.
Days later, Lys entered the Credit One Charleston Open, where she faced America’s Katie Volynets in her opening round. Although she struggled to cruise through the first round in South California too, she was content with her performance for not having lost all the sets.
In the round of 64, she was defeated by Volynets 5-7, 6-2, 6-0. Following the faceoff, she took to social media to express her satisfaction and wrote:
“0 sets in miami, 1 set in charleston… now we gotta trust the process 🤓.”
Lys undettering strength was acknowledged by Gauff, who replied in comment section, writing:
“inches turn into miles❤️❤️❤️.”
Gauff and Lys locked horns against each other in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 China Open, where the American tennis player emerged as the winner.
Coco Gauff Opens Up About Competing At Miami Open With Arm Injury And Against Her Team’s Decision
Coco Gauff was forced to retire midway through the third round of the Indian Wells Open after citing an arm injury. Although the MRI scan showed no signs of serious injury, Gauff’s team did not want the Florida-born to compete in her home event.
However, Gauff vetoed their decision and competed, reaching the WTA 1000 event final. Taking pride and expressing amazement, she reflected on her performance.
“I honestly didn’t think I would be in the semis so I’m really happy and proud of myself,” Gauff said. “I think I proved a lot to myself this week, and I feel like with each match, I’m getting better. Even though I’m still playing three sets, I feel like the level is getting better and better.”
Coco Gauff was bested by Aryna Sabalenka, who claimed the Sunshine Double.
Also read:
Coco Gauff Reaching Miami Open Final Lands Severe Blow To Iga Swiatek In WTA Rankings Update
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