For a long time, critics viewed Coco Gauff‘s shaky serve and uneven forehand as glaring weaknesses. Yet these liabilities have emerged as part of what makes her a uniquely formidable champion.
Her win at the 2025 French Open, a gritty 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, on a windy, unpredictable day in Paris, didn’t follow the usual mold of big serves and aggressive aggression.
The 21-year-old American, already one of the sport’s brightest figures, has long been scrutinized for two areas that often falter under pressure: her serve and her forehand.
Former Grand Slam champion Andy Roddick has argued that Gauff‘s technical inconsistencies, her erratic second serve and unpredictable forehand, may have actually helped serve her better in high-stakes matches.
The 2025 French Open final offered a perfect snapshot of that narrative. On a windy, unsettled afternoon in Paris, Gauff faced Sabalenka in a match brimming with tension.
Sabalenka edged out a tight opening set in a tiebreak, causing many to wonder if Gauff would unravel in the moment.
Instead, she recalibrated her strategy, used the chaotic conditions to her advantage, and controlled the next two sets 6-2, 6-4.
With that comeback, she became the first American woman since Serena Williams in 2015 to win the Roland Garros title.
Roddick, alongside Jon Wertheim and producer Mike Count, later broke down the significance of her victory.
He emphasized that conditions like swirling wind often derail even the best performers, yet Gauff turned the moment into a battlefield that suited her competitive instincts.
He noted that although her serve and forehand are not her strongest assets, her ability to thrive despite them is what elevates her.
Turning weakness into tactical advantage
What sets Gauff apart is her ability to convert her limitations into strategic tools. While many players rely on precision, Gauff shifts rhythm, redirects momentum, and unsettles opponents by forcing them into uncomfortable patterns of play.
Roddick even described her talent for creating messy, grinding matches as a “skill” in itself.
Gauff is fully aware that her serve remains a work in progress. Determined to strengthen it, she sought expert assistance from grip specialist Matt Daly after the previous US Open.
Their collaboration helped her produce a title-winning performance in Paris, but they parted ways later in the summer, leaving Gauff searching again for a long-term solution.
Her serve struggles became clear in matches at Indian Wells and Montreal, where double fault numbers climbed into the twenties.
Wanting a deeper technical overhaul, she turned to biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, known for helping Sabalenka fix her own serving issues.
Even though the timing was tight before the US Open, Gauff believed the change was necessary.
Signs of improvement have already emerged. At the WTA Finals, she produced matches with only a handful of double faults and won a strong percentage of points behind her second serve. While inconsistency remains, her progress shows that her work is not in vain.
Meanwhile, her return game continues to be one of the most formidable on tour, leading in return games won and ranking near the top in return points captured.
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