Andrea Petkovic Shares Theory Behind Coco Gauff’s Recent Serving Struggles
Former world No 9 Andrea Petkovic has offered insight into Coco Gauff’s recent serving woes, suggesting the American star may have unintentionally reverted to old habits.
Gauff, currently ranked world No 3, has struggled with her serve in recent tournaments — most notably at Indian Wells and the Miami Open. During her Indian Wells opener against Moyuka Uchijima, she racked up over 20 double faults, followed by six more in her final service game against Maria Sakkari. She later exited in the fourth round to Belinda Bencic, before suffering another fourth-round defeat to Magda Linette in Miami.
Speaking on her Becker Petkovic podcast, Petkovic theorized that Gauff’s technical issues may stem from a subconscious return to her old serving grip.
“This is my hot take,” Petkovic began. “When she hired Matt Daly [grip specialist], he changed her grip on the serve a bit. But when you change a grip, if you’re not constantly reminded, it tends to go back to the old one.”
Petkovic pointed to Gauff’s improved stats at the end of 2024 and early 2025 — a period in which she kept double faults to a minimum. But recent matches tell a different story: 12 double faults against Linette, eight against Bencic, and a staggering 22 in one match at Indian Wells.
“Something’s clearly off with the serve,” Petkovic said. “My theory is she’s slipped back into the previous grip, which is why it’s not working right now.”
After parting ways with coach Brad Gilbert in September 2024, Gauff initially showed promising form under Daly. However, results have dipped since her quarter-final run at the Australian Open. She’s yet to reach that stage in any tournament since, with early exits in Doha and Dubai further stalling her momentum.
Gauff has opted out of next week’s Billie Jean King Cup action for Team USA and is set to return at the WTA 500 Stuttgart Open on April 14. She’ll be joined in a loaded field by world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No 2 Iga Swiatek, and other top contenders.
Despite her recent struggles, Gauff continues to be a central figure in women’s tennis — and all eyes will be on whether she can reset her serve and regain her winning form in Stuttgart.
