Coco Gauff Reveals MRI Results Ahead of 2026 Miami Open

WTA world No. 4 Coco Gauff is one of the most durable tennis players on tour. It was a rare sight to see Gauff retire mid-match against Alex Eala during their third-round match at Indian Wells.

Gauff has only retired mid-match once before in her career (Cincinnati 2022). Following the match, Gauff shared her initial thoughts on the arm injury and explained she would undergo MRI testing the following day.

While Gauff did not provide an official diagnosis, she did share more details on the injury. The 22-year-old described the pain as initially feeling like "a firework was going off inside my arm," and eventually like her "whole arm… was on fire."

"It was a nerve thing"

Coco Gauff speaks to the press at the 2026 Miami Open. — Coco Gauff at the 2026 Miami Open. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

"It was a nerve thing, like I said immediately after the match," Gauff confirmed in Miami during a pre-tournament press conference. "Every day is different. But for the most part, I'll be fine playing this tournament. I may feel it sometimes on court, but I definitely feel it less and less every day, if that makes sense."

Gauff also made light of the coffin-like MRI machine during her conversation with the media. However, the importance of playing in the Miami Open was not lost on the South Florida native who always receives a hero's welcome when she arrives in South Beach.

"The goal was to play this tournament," Gauff told the media. "There was a thought of skipping it. I think if it wasn't Miami I would probably skip this tournament. But the fact that it is, I really wanted to play here. This is obviously a bucket list tournament for me."

"It comes and goes"

In another interview shared by TennisLegends on YouTube, Gauff went into more detail about the status of her arm injury. "Yeah, I've taken a few days off after anyone else, you know, work through everything.

"And, yeah, honestly, I've been practicing fine, and you know, it comes and goes, but I definitely think it's getting better, you know, as time passes. And, you know, I just hope that it stays on that pathway once the tournament starts."

Coco Gauff waves to the crowd after her match against Maria Sakkari at the 2025 Miami Open. — Coco Gauff waves to the crowd after her loss to Maria Sakkari at the 2025 Miami Open. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Gauff is currently the WTA world No. 4 with a singles record of 11-5. After a slow start to her 2025 season, Gauff has the benefit of playing with house many this spring. The American superstar has very few points to defend in Miami and only stands to gain as long as she remains healthy.

The Miami Open presented by Itau runs from March 15–29. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.