Inside Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Open, Coco Gauff started brightly before trouble suddenly struck. The American began feeling pain in her left arm late in the opening set during a gripping third-round clash with Alexandra Eala. Unable to push through the mounting discomfort, Gauff ultimately walked off the court, leaving the match unfinished.

The trouble for Gauff began during the first set. While trailing 5-2, she took a medical timeout. The injury concern centered around her left forearm. After the timeout, play resumed briefly. Eala immediately broke serve to close out the set. During the set break, Gauff received heavy taping on her left forearm.

However, the pain did not ease. Gauff lost the first two games of the second set. At that point, she realized she could not continue, and Eala won the match 6-2, 2-0. Shortly after leaving the court, Gauff addressed fans on social media. She posted an update on Instagram. “Hey everyone thanks for all the sweet messages.”

She then explained what happened during the match. “I felt a weird pain in my left arm in the second game of the match, I tried to continue but it was only getting more intense.”

Gauff also explained why she decided to stop playing. “As most of you know I rarely have to end matches with a retirement but because it was such an unfamiliar pain I decided it was best to not continue. Never felt anything like this before, going to get an mri tomorrow to see what’s up but I’ll be okay a Good luck to Alex the rest of the way, always a pleasure sharing the court with you!”

She shared another emotional message afterward. “I’m sorry it had to end this way IW:(( see you next year.” The post reflected her disappointment at leaving the tournament early.

Interestingly, Eala did not immediately realize that Gauff had retired. Gauff leaned on the net for a moment before her opponent turned around. The two players then shared a brief embrace.

Despite the unusual ending, it was still a historic moment for Eala. She improved to 1-1 against Gauff at the WTA Tour level after losing to her earlier in Dubai. Eala also became the first Filipino player to reach the Round of 16 at Indian Wells.

Her record against top players has also improved. She now owns a 3-3 record against Top 5 opponents, with wins over Madison Keys, Iga Swiatek, and now Gauff. The earlier victories came during the Miami Open in 2025.

Next, Eala will face Linda Noskova in the Round of 16. Noskova earlier defeated Sorana Cirstea after coming back from a set down. The match lasted just under two and a half hours.

This will be the first meeting between Eala and Noskova on tour. Meanwhile, Gauff will shift her focus to recovery. She now hopes to return stronger at the upcoming Miami Open.

Alexandra Eala shares emotional message for Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff rarely retires from matches on tour. Before the incident at the BNP Paribas Open, it had only happened once in her career. That earlier retirement came against Marie Bouzkova in the first round of the Cincinnati Open in 2022.

This time the problem was her left arm. Gauff’s two-handed backhand is usually her most reliable weapon. The shot often helps her dominate left-handed opponents. Against players like Eala, it is usually a major advantage.

Even when her forehand struggles with consistency, the backhand remains steady. She often targets a left-hander’s forehand crosscourt using that shot. This pattern usually gives her control in rallies.

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Gauff can also mix in a forehand down the line. That shot helps set up exchanges where her backhand takes over. It becomes especially effective when she adds heavy topspin or slice.

But the arm pain changed everything in this match. Gauff later described the moment she first felt the injury. “I felt it, like, the second game of the first set. I guess a simple way to put it, it felt like a firework was going off inside of my arm, and then my whole arm felt like it was on fire,” Gauff said.

She explained that the issue might involve a nerve. “Being told that it’s probably something nerve-related. Never had anything like this before, never felt anything, a sensation like this before,” she said. The unfamiliar pain ultimately forced her to stop playing.

After the match ended, Eala shared thoughtful words for her opponent. During her on-court interview, she thanked women who helped shape the sport on International Women’s Day. She also spoke directly about Gauff’s influence.

“Among them is Coco, so thank you Coco for being an amazing competitor and an amazing role model. And I really hope that everything is well and you will recover soon.” Her words drew warm applause from the crowd.

Eala also admitted the victory felt unusual because of the retirement. “I really didn’t want to win this way, but this is still a really big moment for me to be able to play on Stadium 1 at Indian Wells against such a great competitor. I’m really grateful to be here and I’m super happy.”

At the net, the two players shared a brief hug. Gauff explained that the pain had started earlier in the first set. She also apologized to her opponent for the sudden ending. “I’m sorry, I hate to do this,” Gauff told Eala. 

Despite the difficult exit, the American will now focus on recovery. She hopes to return stronger at the upcoming Miami Open.