Coco Gauff‘s 2025 season produced notable successes, including two titles and a 48-16 record, but attention turned to a concerning statistic: 432 double faults. Critics questioned her serve, prompting her father Corey Gauff to defend her publicly.
The number 432, highest in the WTA this season, became a talking point across tennis media. Some interpreted it as evidence of a fragile serve under pressure, while others viewed it as an anomaly. Corey Gauff took a different perspective entirely.
Responding to a post from the Instagram account TurnOn Tennis, which compared double faults across men’s and women’s tennis, Corey Gauff posted a pointed defense of his daughter and her work ethic in the comment section.
“Relax, it’s a stat and a fact and an area to improve, she will improve, she always does, the work doesn’t lie … will be hard to find someone working harder than her on her game …. 2026 she coming !!!!” Corey wrote.
Those words not only defended Coco Gauff but emphasized that elite athletes progress through imperfections whilst for Coco, the statistic was less a failure than a measure of the area she needed to focus on in the offseason.
Her struggles with serving persisted into the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she committed roughly 26 double faults across three matches. Despite this, Gauff continues to be one of the youngest players to consistently finish in the Top 3 in consecutive seasons.
Gauff looks to improve key weakness in tennis game
To address serving inconsistencies, Gauff enlisted expert coach Gavin MacMillan before the US Open. His focus is to refine her technique, improve spin, and ensure she trusts her serve in critical match situations throughout 2026.
The offseason is critical as Gauff prepares for the United Cup starting January 2. Her training will emphasize establishing a reliable kick serve while balancing other aspects of her game that were affected by over-concentration on serving under pressure.
“The first goal is obviously, in my mind,” MacMillan said. “To get an effective kick serve that she 100% trusts.
“And once we have that in place, we can start establishing, you know, hitting more effective first serves that not only have velocity but spin.
“It’s not just one thing to hit it hard. If you hit it hard and it bounces flat, it’s into everybody’s wheelhouse.”
The emphasis for 2026 is clear: address the serve without compromising other elements of her game. With a structured coaching plan, expert advice from past champions, and her father’s advocacy, Gauff enters the new season prepared to turn criticism into measurable improvement.
Her ability to convert this offseason focus into match-day execution will determine whether she can minimize double faults and sustain her upward trajectory, maintaining her status among the elite in women’s tennis. Gauff‘s double-fault statistic, once a source of scrutiny, now serves as a catalyst as she looks to go one better than 2025 and win multiple Grand Slams after her French Open triumph.
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