Coco Gauff Gives Miami Open Injury Update Before Return

Coco Gauff said she expects to be fit enough to compete at the Miami Open after the arm problem that forced her to retire at Indian Wells. The American is due to begin her campaign on Thursday and indicated that the issue has been improving in recent days.

Concern around Gauff’s condition grew after she was unable to continue her round-of-32 match against Alexandra Eala at Indian Wells. She later described the sensation as feeling like “a firework going off” inside her arm, which raised further doubts about whether she would be able to play in Miami.

Before the tournament, Gauff told reporters that the injury had eased and that she still wanted to play despite briefly considering a withdrawal. The location of the event appeared to be an important factor in that decision.

“For the most part, I will be fine playing this tournament,” Gauff said. “I might feel it sometimes on court, but I definitely feel it less and less every day. I think the goal was to play this tournament. There was a thought of maybe skipping it, but if it wasn’t Miami I probably would skip it, but the fact that it is Miami, I really wanted to be here.”

MRI Check Followed Indian Wells Retirement

Coco Gauff underwent an MRI after the Indian Wells withdrawal to assess the nerve-related issue in her arm. She said the scan was an unfamiliar experience and made clear she would prefer not to repeat it.

“That was the first time I took an MRI, they’re expensive, and I felt like that’s what a coffin would feel like,” Gauff said. “It was very weird. I felt claustrophobic, so I definitely don’t want to go into one of those again.”

The update offers a more positive picture heading into Miami, even if Gauff acknowledged she may still notice the issue during matches.

• CoCo Vandeweghe, Chris Eubanks Address Viral TV Moment

Miami Open Chance Follows Uneven Start To 2026

The Miami Open arrives during a mixed start to Gauff’s 2026 season. She opened the year with a strong run at the United Cup before Poland ended that campaign on the way to the title.

Her Australian Open challenge ended in the quarterfinals against Elina Svitolina. Gauff then suffered an early exit in Qatar before producing a deeper run in Dubai, where Svitolina again stopped her, this time in the semifinals.

Now ranked world No. 4, Gauff heads into Miami looking to move past those setbacks and build momentum at home. With her fitness concerns easing, the tournament offers her a chance to reset her season and pursue a first title of 2026.