Naomi Osaka powers into Indian Wells last 16 as Coco Gauff injury shakes draw

Naomi Osaka powered into the last 16 at Indian Wells on Sunday, while Coco Gauff was forced to retire injured during her third-round match, reshaping the draw at the prestigious WTA event.

Japan’s Osaka, seeded 16th, secured a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio to avenge a demoralising first-round defeat to the Colombian at the tournament last year.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is seeking to rediscover her best form at the combined ATP and WTA Masters 1000 event, where she won her maiden Indian Wells title in 2018 before going on to capture the US Open later that year.

Osaka’s victory sets up a potential high-profile meeting with world number two Aryna Sabalenka, who also advanced to the round of 16.

Sabalenka is chasing her first title at Indian Wells after finishing runner-up at the tournament twice.

Roaring on 🐆@naomiosaka overcomes a valiant Osorio fightback to come through 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in the sunshine.#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/KtiwaPDhAz

— wta (@WTA) March 8, 2026

Earlier, world number four Gauff was forced to retire from her match against rising Filipina star Alexandra Eala.

The 20-year-old Eala was leading 6-2, 2-0 when Gauff withdrew after receiving treatment on her left arm during an injury timeout late in the opening set.

A trainer worked on Gauff’s shoulder and arm and later returned to wrap her forearm, but the American was unable to continue.

After dropping her serve in the second game of the second set, Gauff approached the net and informed Eala that she was retiring from the match.

“I really didn’t want to win this way,” Eala said after the match.

“But this is still a really big moment for me to be able to play on Stadium One of Indian Wells and against such a great competitor,” she added, while wishing Gauff a speedy recovery.

Eala will now face Czech player Linda Noskova for a place in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, Sabalenka also progressed as she continues her pursuit of a first Indian Wells title.

Despite a few nervy moments, the Belarusian said she remained focused throughout her match.

“I knew that she was not going to give up easily,” Sabalenka said.

“That’s why I was super-focused, especially on my serve. I didn’t want to give her much opportunity so super-happy with the serving, with the game and of course with the win.”

Sixth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova will next face Britain’s Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion who recently reached her first WTA final in several years.

Meanwhile, Eala said the strong support from Filipino fans in the California desert has helped fuel her run at the tournament.

“It means the world to have this community behind me in such a prestigious tournament,” she said after an earlier win over Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.

“It really added to the feelings and the emotions after the match.”