A positive update recently emerged from Coco Gauff’s camp as the American returned to practice ahead of her campaign at the Miami Open. Gauff last competed at the BNP Paribas Open, where she retired during her third-round match against Alexandra Eala after sustaining an arm injury. Meanwhile, the Filipina has also begun her preparations in Miami.
Miami Open Update: Coco Gauff Dispels Injury Doubts, Alexandra Eala Begins Preparations
Gauff has yet to win a title in 2026, with her best performances being a semifinal exit in Dubai and a quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open. Though she aimed to turn the tide at Indian Wells, an arm issue halted her momentum. After defeating Kamilla Rakhimova in the second round, Gauff struggled against Eala in the third.
From the outset, Gauff looked uncomfortable and eventually called for a medical timeout after the seventh game, when the trainer checked her left arm and added supportive taping around the elbow. She attempted to continue but committed six double faults and dropped serve. She lost the opening set 2-6 and retired while trailing 0-2 in the second. Afterward, she embraced Eala at the net and walked off the court.
The concern only grew after the two-time Grand Slam champion revealed that her arm condition worsened as the match went on, describing the sensation as a “scary feeling.”
“And then as the match played, it got progressively worse, even when I wasn’t using my arm on shots that I wasn’t even using my left arm for. It was feeling like fireworks at times. Yeah, it was a scary feeling, but yeah, I don’t know,” she said.
Nonetheless, Gauff appears to have made a swift recovery, as she was recently spotted back on the practice courts ahead of the Miami Open.
Welcome back home, @CocoGauff 😎🌴#MiamiOpen | @WTA pic.twitter.com/fixHQQiyUn
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 16, 2026
Apart from Gauff, Eala has also drawn attention. The Filipina has raised her level recently and attracted sizable crowds during her matches. Her most recent appearance came at the BNP Paribas Open, where she defeated Gauff before falling to Linda Noskova in straight sets in the fourth round. Eala will now look to build on that momentum and finish the Sunshine Double positively.
Alex Eala back in Miami 😎 for another run? 👀#miamiopen pic.twitter.com/rNmaRhDMbC
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 16, 2026
Eala enters the event as the No. 31 seed and has received a direct entry into the second round, where she will face either Laura Siegemund or Petra Marčinko. Gauff will enter as the fourth seed and face the winner of Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s first-round clash against a qualifier.
