Coco Gauff hopes to be back in action for part two of the Sunshine Double after retiring against Alexandra Eala with a “scary” left arm injury. 

“We're going to get an MRI and to see what's going on,” Gauff said. “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. 

“We've just got to figure out exactly what it is and, I guess, how to prevent it in the future.”

The two-time Grand Slam winner stopped when trailing Eala 6-2, 2-0 in Indian Wells on Sunday night. 

Gauff added that she first felt the injury in the second game of the opening set. The Floridian received a medical time out at 2-5 and began the second set with her lower left arm heavily strapped. 

“It felt like a firework was going off inside of my arm, and then my whole arm felt like it was on fire,” said Gauff. “We're going to figure out what it is, but based off the feeling, being told that it's probably something nerve related. 

“Never had anything like this before, never felt anything, a sensation like this before. And then as the match played (on), it got progressively worse, even when I wasn't using my arm on shots that I wasn't even using my left arm for.

“It was a scary feeling.”

It was only the 21-year-old’s second career retirement after Cincinnati in 2022. On that day against Marie Bouzkova, she sustained an ankle injury. 

Eala, who has taken the tennis world by storm with her rise and huge following, applauded Gauff off Stadium 1 and praised her afterwards.

They had just met in Dubai — Gauff prevailed in straight sets — and played doubles together last year.  

“Thank you, Coco, for being an amazing competitor and an amazing role model,” said the 20-year-old from the Philippines. “I really hope that everything is well and you will recover soon.”