Coco Gauff is racing against the clock for Miami after a left-arm nerve injury forced her retirement at Indian Wells on Sunday.

The fourth seed described the sensation as something like a firework going off inside her arm - a frightening development with the tournament less than two days away.

The 21-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion first felt the problem during the second game of her opening set against Alex Eala. She received medical attention at 2-5 down and returned to start the second set with her lower left arm heavily strapped, but ultimately retired trailing 6-2, 0-2.

A Nerve Scare at the Worst Possible Time

Gauff was unsparing about what she experienced. "It felt like a firework was going off inside of my arm, and then my whole arm felt like it was on fire," she said. She called the situation "scary" and noted the sensation worsened through the match - unusually, even affecting shots that did not directly involve her left arm.

Medical professionals believe the issue is nerve-related rather than structural, which Gauff welcomed. "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. An MRI was scheduled to confirm the nature of the complaint and guide her preparation before the event.

This was only Gauff's second career retirement - the first came at Cincinnati in 2022 after an ankle injury ended her campaign early.

Gauff's Miami Status as Withdrawals Mount

As of Sunday, Gauff remained officially listed in the Miami Open draw but no confirmation of her participation had been issued by her camp.

As the fourth seed, she received a first-round bye and would not be required until the tournament's opening competitive days. The Miami Open runs March 17-29, with main draw play starting from Wednesday morning AEDT.

She is not alone in generating pre-tournament uncertainty. Tennis365 reported a growing list of confirmed withdrawals, including WTA players Lois Boisson (world No. 37), Oleksandra Oliynykova (world No. 73), and Wang Yafan, alongside ATP absentees Holger Rune (world No. 18), Tallon Griekspoor (world No. 25), and Jaume Munar.

All eyes will be on Gauff's MRI results and any announcement from her camp before the Miami Open gets underway on Wednesday morning AEDT.