Coco Gauff‘s promising tennis career continues to be plagued by the same technical weaknesses that have hindered her rise to the top.
The 2025 season has proven to be a frustrating continuation of old issues for the talented young player, particularly in her serve and forehand.
Despite being highly regarded by coaches such as Rick Macci, who previously predicted her eventual world number one status, Gauff’s recurring problems have only become more evident in recent tournaments.
The most alarming display of her struggles came during the Wuhan Open last year, where Gauff recorded a shocking 21 double faults during a single semi-final match.
Her recent showing at the Miami Open wasn’t much better, as she suffered a straight-sets defeat to Magda Linette, producing 12 double faults and 45 unforced errors.
Such performances have left many questioning whether Gauff can overcome these technical flaws and regain her competitive edge.
Growing Concerns Over Gauff’s Progress
One of Gauff’s most vocal critics has been Rennae Stubbs, a former coach of Serena Williams, who has repeatedly pointed out Gauff’s vulnerabilities.
Stubbs has been particularly concerned with Gauff‘s second serve, service motion, service grip, and forehand, highlighting how these weaknesses become more apparent when playing outdoors where environmental factors like wind can impact performance.
On her recent podcast episode, The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, released on March 25th, Stubbs voiced her disapproval of Gauff‘s early exit from the Miami Open. She noted how the young star’s form has been slipping despite showing glimpses of promise throughout the tournament.
“But to beat Coco Gauff 4-4 in Florida, tons of support. It’s just, Coco is just, yeah, there’s a lot missing there. And a lot of it just comes down to, again, the same stuff, the double-faulting, the forehand. It’s just like, at some point, you have to go and break that down a little bit and get some confidence on it,” Stubbs remarked.
Despite her criticisms, Stubbs acknowledges Gauff’s potential to turn things around, particularly with the upcoming clay-court season.
Having reached the finals of the French Open in 2022, Gauff has shown she can excel on clay. Stubbs has suggested that if Gauff can keep her double faults below six per match, her chances of success increase significantly.
“I don’t care who you are, your confidence has to suffer. And she has not gotten to a latter part of a tournament in a long time,” Stubbs emphasized.
“And when you’re talking about the consistency of an English ground tech and a Sabalenka, Coco is not having that. And so she has really dropped out of that top-tier five-level. And losing to Magda Linette is not a good loss at the Miami Open for her.”
Will Clay-Court Season Be Gauff’s Redemption?
Stubbs, while critical of Gauff’s technical flaws, maintains hope for the young player’s future. She believes that Gauff’s performance on clay courts could offer a fresh start and a path to redemption.
Stubbs admitted, “I adore Coco Gauff, I think she’s the nicest kid. She is so personable when you see her. I hate talking about her critically because I think she’s just such a special person. But it is my job to also try and teach people why she doesn’t have the success that they think she should.”
Magda Linette, who defeated Gauff at the Miami Open, was thrilled by her victory. After signing the camera with the message “33 is looking good,” she expressed her gratitude for the support from the crowd.
“Beating Coco for the first time is a huge achievement for me. She’s so tough. Even on her worst days, she’s so so tough. Thank you so much everyone for making this atmosphere so nice,” Linette said.
Despite the growing concerns, Gauff remains optimistic and determined to work through her struggles. Reflecting on her performance, she admitted, “It wasn’t great today. It hasn’t been the last few weeks. I’m trying to figure that out. Definitely not happy about it. Just one of those days when I felt awful in everything on the court.”
The upcoming clay season may be exactly what Gauff needs to regain her confidence and prove her critics wrong. But unless she can address her technical issues and find a way to play with more consistency, her journey to the top of women’s tennis may remain an elusive dream.
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