"The world is not ending; I promise I am okay" - Coco Gauff gives injury update after retirement from Cincinnati Open in 1st Round
Coco Gauff's fans will breathe a huge sigh of relief as the American youngster has confirmed that her Cincinnati Open injury is a 'really minor sprain.' Gauff was forced to retire early in the second set of her first-round match at the 2022 Cincinnati Open on Tuesday due to an ankle injury sustained during the opening set.
Marie Bouzkova led 7-5, 1-0 after Gauff dropped her serve in the first game of the second set. Gauff then called it quits as she could not continue to play her best tennis due to a sprained ankle. Gauff also must have had the US Open in mind, choosing not to further aggravate the injury by playing on.
Shortly after the injury scare and consulting doctors on the extent of the same, Coco Gauff revealed some good news on social media. Gauff stated that she has most likely suffered just a minor sprain and her ankle should heal sooner rather than later, which is very good news for her US Open participation.
"Hi everyone! I just wanted to give an update since I have gotten tons of really nice messages of concern. I promise I am ok!" Coco Gauff wrote in a message shared on Twitter.
"The world is not ending lol! I have been told it is most likely a really minor sprain so everything should be healed very soon. Thank you to everyone for reaching out and I'll see you soon," she added.
The 18-year-old rising star led 5-2 in the opening set against Bouzkova before she first suffered an ankle injury. Gauff received medical attention for the first time, with the scoreline reading 5-3 but could not win a single game after the incident, eventually dropping the first set 7-5. Gauff took another medical timeout after going down a break in the second set and walked back on court thereafter to inform her opponent and the umpire of her decision to forfeit the match.
Also Checkout:- Cincinnati Open 2022 Schedule
Doubles World No. 1 Coco Gauff forced to withdraw from Cincinnati doubles event
Coco Gauff's injury meant that she also had to withdraw from the doubles event in Cincinnati with partner Jessica Pegula. Gauff became the new World No. 1 in doubles after clinching the Canadian Open title alongside Pegula last weekend. Gauff and Pegula defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez to win the title, which confirmed Gauff's rise to the top spot on Monday.
Gauff also had a good run in the singles tournament in Toronto, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Simona Halep. Gauff reached the quarterfinals of the Silicon Valley Classic the week before, where she defeated Naomi Osaka in the round of 16 before losing to Paula Badosa.
The current World No. 12 lost in the second round of last year's US Open and will aim for a much stronger run in New York this year. She has fond memories from the doubles event at the 2021 US Open as she reached the final alongside Caty McNally.