INDIAN WELLS, California, March 8 (Reuters) - Two-time major champion Coco Gauff was forced into a rare retirement in her third-round clash with Alex Eala at Indian Wells on Sunday due to persistent pain in her left arm, which she said made it feel like it was "on fire."
Gauff, 21, who has only retired from one match previously in her career, took a medical timeout before the final game and apologized to Eala for having to pull out while trailing 6-2 2-0.
"I'm sorry. You were playing great," Gauff told Eala as they embraced at the net.
It was a tough break for world No. 4 Gauff, who crushed Eala 6-0 6-2 in the quarter-finals in Dubai three weeks ago and was among the favourites to win the title in the California desert. Gauff's only other retirement came in 2022 in Cincinnati.
"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 after the match.
"We're going to figure out what it is tomorrow, but based off the feeling, I'm being told that it's probably something nerve-related.
"Never felt a sensation like this before," she said, adding that the experience was "scary."
She said she would get an MRI on Monday to assess the situation.
"The good news is they don't think it's going to be a long-term type of situation, so I should be fine for Miami," she said, referring to the second leg of the Sunshine Double that takes place immediately after Indian Wells.
"We've just got to figure out exactly what it is and, I guess, how to prevent it in the future."
The retirement sends the 20-year-old Eala, who has become a celebrity in the Philippines with wins over some of the sport's biggest names, into the round of 16, where she will face Czech Linda Noskova.
"It's a difficult decision to retire from a match, I know," Eala said.
"No one likes winning like that and no one likes losing like that. Nevertheless I'm really happy with how I played, really happy with my performance and I hope I can make the best out of the momentum."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Indian Wells; Editing by Michael Perry and Thomas Derpinghaus)
