Coco Gauff believes that the Miami Open allowed her to find ‘momentum’ after her Indian Wells retirement, despite the loss to Sabalenka in the final.

The world No 4 fell to the Belarusian in a tight 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 clash, with Sabalenka becoming just the fifth woman to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season – completing the Sunshine Double.

Gauff had never previously progressed beyond the fourth round in Miami.

“Yeah, I thought it was a good tournament overall,” analysed the American during her post-match press conference.

“Obviously today, it’s tough to come home with this result. Yeah, I think I will learn a lot from today’s match.

“I felt like I could have did better in some moments, but that’s tennis.

“Just happy to find some momentum.”

There was significant doubt as to whether Gauff would even show up to the event, given she had retired against Alexandra Eala at 6-2, 2-0 in the third round of Indian Wells.

During that match – as well as the prior round – she was seen regularly spraying errors and coughing up doubles faults, seemingly affected by arm pain.

After undergoing an MRI, Gauff was found to have nerve damage and was, subsequently, advised to withdraw from the Floridian tournament.

The world No 4 admitted that she would likely not have participated in the event if it had been held outside of the United States.

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“Yeah, I don’t think they’re necessarily shocked,” the two-time Grand Slam champion stated after being asked whether her team were shocked by her successful campaign.

“I think they know when I’m in the right mindset I can do a lot of things.

“I just wasn’t in the right mindset leaving Indian Wells, so I think they were more protective of me, more so just making sure I didn’t lose myself in the sport, and that’s why they wanted the break.

“I don’t know. I’m a driven person, and I just wanted to play. I was, like, I live close.

“I feel, like, you know, if this was in Europe somewhere, then I probably wouldn’t have shown up, but this is in Miami, so I was just, worst case, if I lose, it’s a 45-minute drive home versus flying.

“Also, I’m saving money, not paying for a hotel, not paying hotel for my team, anything. I was, like, whatever, if I don’t do well I’m not losing too much on the losing end.

“No, I think I just was more proven to prove them wrong, and I feel like that made me change my “mindset and stopped me from being negative. I think there were rare times throughout the week I was being negative, and even when I did, I was able to snap out of it quickly.”

Despite the mostly one-sided first set, Gauff dug deep to save two break points before breaking Sabalenka on to clinch the second and send the Miami crowd into a frenzy.

However, the decisive moment in the match arrived in the opening game of the third set, with the American carrying all of the momentum and leading 30-love.

A close deuce game would ultimately go Sabalenka’s way, a lead which Gauff would not close.

“Well, I’m sure tactically what I did well. I’ll probably try to redo it again,” she analysed.

“Yeah, I think I’m most disappointed about that first game in the third set of 30-Love, and with momentum from breaking her to win the set.

“I feel like that’s an important game to win in that moment, especially because I felt I wasn’t getting a lot of breaks, but I was making her play a lot of balls, considering how big her serve is.

“Yeah, I think that’s something I have to learn from in a moment. Yeah, I think in the second set I was just able to raise my level. I felt in the first I was letting her dictate a lot, which is tough because it’s Aryna.

“But I thought in the second I was doing a lot of dictating and playing a bit more aggressive, making deeper returns and things like that.

“Yeah, that first game, I’m a bit disappointed about.”

Gauff will next play the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, which takes place from April 13 – 19.