Coco Gauff says nerve issue in arm has improved, she’s ready for Miami Open
Coco Gauff’s South Florida roots run deep and the Miami Open is a tournament she holds dear to her heart, so the Delray Beach native wasn’t going to let a nerve-related issue in her left arm keep her from playing so close to home unless she absolutely had to.
There was some doubt whether fourth-seeded Gauff would play in the Miami Open this week after retiring from her third-round match against Alex Eala at Indian Wells on March 8, while trailing 6-2, 2-0, due to a “scary” pain that “felt like a firework was going off inside of my arm.”
Gauff underwent an MRI, the first in her life, was told it was a nerve issue, which has improved, and she declared after practicing on the Hard Rock Stadium grounds Tuesday that she is ready to compete for her first Miami Open title.
“For the most part, I will be fine playing this tournament,” she said. “I might feel it sometimes on court, but I definitely feel it less and less every day. I think the goal was to play this tournament. There was a thought of maybe skipping it, but if it wasn’t Miami I probably would skip it, but the fact that it is Miami, I really wanted to be here.”
Gauff added that she was not fond of the MRI experience.
“That was the first time I took an MRI, they’re expensive, and I felt like that’s what a coffin would feel like,” Gauff said, drawing laughs from the assembled media. “It was very weird. I felt claustrophobic, so I definitely don’t want to go into one of those again.”
The 22-year-old, whose resume includes titles at the 2023 U.S. Open and 2025 French Open, would love to finally reach the late rounds of the Miami Open. She has never gotten past the fourth round, despite feeling so at home on the tournament grounds.
“I would love to do well here; it seems like every time I do bad here, I end up doing well on clay, but this is a obviously a bucket list tournament for me,” Gauff said. “I have stayed at home [during the Miami Open], but also played this tournament where I’ve stayed in a hotel, and neither was better, so I don’t know. Maybe this is the year.”
Gauff prefers to stay home during this tournament and spend time with her family and friends.
Last year, to celebrate her 21st birthday, she paid homage to her hometown with the launch of her second signature sneaker, the “Coco Delray”. Her first shoe, also by New Balance, was called “CG1” and had the coordinates of Pompey Park, the Delray Beach public tennis courts where she grew up, inscribed on the soles. The coordinates are 26° 28’ 0.75” N, 80° 5’ 1.4” W.
Her maternal grandmother Yvonne Lee Odom is a civil rights trailblazer who integrated Delray Beach public schools 60 years ago.
Gauff contributed to the refurbishment of the Pompey Park courts in March 2024, as part of a legacy initiative after her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open.
Her father, Corey Gauff, was a star basketball player at Spanish River High School and played at Georgia State University. Her mother, Candi Odom Gauff, was a five-time state champion heptathlete at Delray Beach Atlantic High, ran track at FSU, and was also a competitive gymnast.
“I feel like the epicenter of tennis in the United States resides in South Florida,” she said. “It’s definitely one of the tennis capitals of the world and I’m just lucky I was able to grow up in a place that’s so passionate about what I’m passionate about and be able to play in this tournament.
Another local player who feels at home at the Miami Open is No. 6 seed Amanda Anisimova, who lives in Miami Beach. The 24-year-old has fond memories of attending the Miami Open when it was held in Key Biscayne.
“I was a huge fan of Maria [Sharapova] and Serena [Williams], so I got their autograph on a hat, and I was very excited about that, would wear the hat all year,” she said. “Also saw Caroline Wozniacki, Roger Federer, Vika [Victoria Azarenka]. I loved seeing everybody, watched all their practices. I would spend all day there.”
She said she never imagined as a child that she would one day be playing in the tournament.
“I played a lot and competed, but the dream was so far from reality,” she said. “I was just a kid. It didn’t seen realistic to me as a child. I was very much in the present, absorbing it all.”
![American Katie Volynet [10] returns with a strong forehand in her match against Canadian Bianca Anmdreescu in the Women's Qualifying Singles 2nd Round match during the Miami Open on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida.](https://www.miamiherald.com/public/latest-news/i7aa78/picture315088228/alternates/FREE_1140/MIA_04TUESDAYMIAMIOPEN.JPG "MIA_04TUESDAYMIAMIOPEN.JPG")
The qualifying round and first round of the women’s draw was played on Tuesday in damp, chillier conditions than usual. Among the winners were American Zachary Svajda, who rallied to beat countryman Colton Smith 6-7 (8-6), 6-3, 6-1; American Elvina Kalieva, who beat Diane Perry of France 6-4, 6-0; American Katie Volynets, a straight sets winner over Bianca Andreescu of Canada; and Arthur Fery of Great Britain, who defeated Yunchaokete Bu of China 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in men’s qualifying.
Wednesday Stadium Court matches moved
Miami Open officials sent out an advisory Tuesday night explaining why there will be no matches on Stadium Court on Wednesday.
“Due to heavy rainfall in the leadup to the tournament, limited areas of the Stadium Court required additional preparation to ensure optimal conditions for match play,” read the statement. “All matches on Wednesday March 18 will take place on the outer courts. The Stadium Court is expected to open for tournament play on Thursday.”
Carlos Alcaraz, Yannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka practiced on Stadium Court Tuesday, but it is not quite match ready.
Fans with stadium tickets for Sessions 3 and 4 will be contacted for next steps.
This story was originally published March 17, 2026 at 5:03 PM.