Coco Gauff has reached the Miami Open semifinals despite battling an arm injury that forced her out of Indian Wells.
Gauff retired hurt during her California meeting with Alexandra Eala earlier this month, casting some doubt on her appearance in Miami.
But she has since recovered to make it all the way to the semifinals of the Miami Open for the very first time in her career.
Gauff really wants to win the Miami Open, where she now takes on WTA rival Karolina Muchova for a place in the final.
Ahead of that encounter, the 22-year-old American superstar has issued an important update on her left arm injury.
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Coco Gauff eases arm injury worries ahead of Miami semifinal
Gauff told reporters after knocking out Belinda Bencic: “Honestly my arm I did not feel at all today and I was thinking in mid second set that I did not feel it at all, and then I felt it in the third set when I was 40-0 up.
“I took some Advil and was fine. It is doing well.
“I think for the fact that I did not feel it until the third set today and it was only on sporadic kind of shots, it’s such a weird thing because I only feel it sporadically, but it’s way better than Indian Wells when I felt it on every shot.
“Here I only feel it sporadically and it’s not something that is affecting my play.”
Gauff will be grateful that the issue hasn’t been too serious thus far, although she won’t be thankful that all four of her matches have gone the distance.
She has defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Alycia Parks, Sorana Cirstea and now Bencic, all after three sets.
Coco Gauff not thinking about Miami Open title
Such a situation has resulted in tennis history, with Gauff now the first WTA top five player to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal only via three-setters en route.
That is according to OptaAce since the format’s introduction in 2009, although the American is fully aware that the job in Miami is far from complete.
“I am not thinking about the title,” said Gauff. “I have played enough of these tournaments to know that the semis is just as far from the title as the first round, honestly.
“I am not thinking about it. I am really happy and proud to be here.
“I definitely did not think this would be the year that would be my breakthrough year but I’ll take it.”
Prove us wrong…
It’s a wise approach from the WTA ace as she prepares to take on Muchova, who has just clinched big wins over Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala.
But history is very much on the side of the American ahead of their semifinal, with Gauff winning all five of her previous matches against Muchova.
It is a dominant run that stretches back to the 2023 Cincinnati final, with the pair most recently meeting in this year’s Australian Open round of 16.
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