Coco Gauff knows the spotlight better than most 20-year-olds. Last year she lit up New York by winning her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, sparking comparisons to Serena Williams. A few months ago, she added a French Open crown to her resume. But tennis doesn’t just reward moments of brilliance-it demands consistency. And right now, Gauff is fighting a technical battle that continues to hold her back.
At this year’s US Open, the cracks showed early. She scraped through a three-set opener against Ajla Tomljanovic before colliding with Naomi Osaka in the fourth round. Osaka dominated from start to finish, feasting on Gauff’s serve. The numbers were brutal: five double faults and only 52% of first-serve points won, compared to Osaka’s staggering 94%.
That match raised an old question-can Gauff overcome her serving struggles before they stall her rise up the rankings?
Experts Call for Urgent Fix
On the Fudd Around And Find Out podcast, Rennae Stubbs, who once coached Serena Williams, didn’t sugarcoat her thoughts. “Coco has arguably one of the greatest backhands we’ve ever seen in the game, but her forehand is really quite technically flawed and her serve has become a technical issue,” Stubbs said.
Stubbs compared it to a basketball player with a broken shooting form-something that can’t be ignored, only rebuilt. It’s a reminder that even the most explosive athletes sometimes need to go back to basics.
Legendary coach Rick Macci, who helped shape the Williams sisters, sees the same flaws-but also the potential. Speaking to Sportskeeda, he argued that Gauff’s serve could eventually become her biggest weapon if retooled. “If she is reprogrammed with the more compact, explosive ATP forehand, the Delray Dart will be number one in the land,” Macci said.
What Comes Next fo Coco Gauff
The loss to Osaka came just weeks after Gauff’s shock first-round exit at Wimbledon, another reminder of how unforgiving the tour can be. Still, she remains just outside the world’s top two and has time on her side.
Her next test comes at the China Open later this month. For Gauff, the question isn’t about talent-it’s about whether she can tighten the screws on the part of her game that keeps letting her down. Because if she does, the race for World No. 1 could look very different very soon.
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