‘That is why she is going to lose’ – Coco Gauff fault identified by Serena Williams’ former coach

Rennae Stubbs Pinpoints Key Issue in Coco Gauff’s Game

Former doubles world No. 1 Rennae Stubbs has highlighted a major flaw in Coco Gauff’s game that she believes is a recurring factor in the American’s defeats.

Stubbs, who has previously coached Serena Williams and Karolina Pliskova, pointed to Gauff’s technique—particularly her forehand—as a key weakness that top players frequently exploit.

“Her technique breaks down under pressure, especially when playing outdoors,” Stubbs said on her self-titled podcast. “A lot of her success last year and even earlier this season came indoors, where there’s no wind or variables. But when you have technical issues—whether it’s the second serve, service motion, grip, or forehand—it affects your entire game.”

Gauff’s struggles were evident at Indian Wells, where she hit 21 double faults and 74 unforced errors in her match against Moyuka Uchijima. In her loss to Maria Sakkari, she produced six double faults in the final game.

Stubbs believes that Gauff’s forehand has been a long-standing issue and will likely remain a challenge throughout her career.

“Her forehand technique is always going to be a problem,” Stubbs added. “The question is whether she can overcome it in tough three-set matches. She’ll have massive support in Miami, and maybe this is the breakthrough she needs before the clay season, where she excels.

“It’s a work in progress, and it always will be. But when she loses, it’s because of these issues—that’s why we keep talking about them.”

Gauff’s former coach, Sly Large, echoed similar concerns, stating that a technical flaw developed in her forehand after she transitioned to the Mouratoglou Academy.

“Somewhere along the line, between 13 and when she went to Mouratoglou, a hitch crept into her forehand,” Large explained. “For four years, we never took our eyes off it, but I believe it wasn’t monitored closely enough afterward.”

Despite a 6-4 record in 2025, Gauff remains confident, dismissing criticism.

“People make a bigger deal of it than it is,” she said. “I’ll lose more matches back-to-back. It’s part of the sport.”

Gauff will begin her Miami Open campaign against Sofia Kenin, with their head-to-head currently tied at 2-2. The 2025 Australian Open saw Gauff cruise past Kenin 6-3, 6-3 in their most recent encounter.