Tennis sensation Coco Gauff had to withdraw from her third-round match at the Indian Wells tournament on Sunday after experiencing ongoing left elbow discomfort.
The 21-year-old athlete, who holds two major championship titles, made the difficult decision to retire from her match against Alex Eala while down 6-2, 2-0. This marks just the second time in Gauff’s professional career that she has been unable to complete a match.
Before the final game, Gauff requested a medical timeout and then approached the net to inform her opponent of her withdrawal.
“I’m sorry. You were playing great,” Gauff said to Eala as the two players hugged at the net.
The injury comes as a disappointing setback for the world’s fourth-ranked player, who had dominated Eala in their previous encounter just three weeks earlier in Dubai, winning 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Gauff had been hoping to capture her first championship at the prestigious California tournament.
Eala, a 20-year-old player who has gained significant recognition in the Philippines for her victories against top-tier opponents, now advances to the round of 16 where she will compete against Czech player Linda Noskova.
