“Something Is Not Right With…,” Coco Gauff’s Faults Prompt Coaching Criticism From German WTA Legend
Coco Gauff began her 2025 season with a bang—leading Team USA to a United Cup title and stunning World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets. With that momentum, many believed this would be her breakout year. A key focus for the 21-year-old? Fixing her unreliable serve.
To tackle that challenge, Gauff brought back longtime mentor Jean-Christophe Faurel and added Matt Daly to her coaching team. Daly, brought on shortly after her disappointing US Open (where she double-faulted 19 times against Emma Navarro), was credited with making technical changes to her game, including adjustments to her serve grip. For a while, the improvements showed—until they didn’t.
A Tale of Two Serves
Gauff finished the 2024 season on a high, winning both the China Open and the WTA Finals. Her serve looked sharper, more consistent. At the 2025 Australian Open, she led the field in aces—but also in double faults. Her run ended in the quarterfinals against Paula Badosa, where Gauff committed 28 forehand errors and 6 double faults, revealing the cracks beneath the surface.
Things only got worse at Indian Wells. In her opening match against Moyuka Uchijima, Gauff fired off 22 double faults. Even she couldn’t ignore the issue, grading her performance a “D.” Though she eventually reached the fourth round, she was eliminated by Belinda Bencic.
In Miami, Gauff fell in the round of 16 to Magda Linette, committing 12 double faults. Once again, the serve was a liability.
Experts Weigh In
On her podcast Becker Petkovic, former WTA star Andrea Petkovic shared a blunt assessment:
“This is my hot take: when she hired Matt Daly, he changed her grip on the serve. But if you’re not constantly reminded of that change, you fall back into old habits. That’s what I think happened.”
Petkovic noted Gauff’s relatively clean serving toward the end of last season—but cited a recent return to high double-fault counts, suggesting her technique may be regressing.
Rennae Stubbs, former coach and analyst, echoed those concerns during a recent podcast episode:
“Her grip is wrong. Her elbow gets too low, her left arm drops—technically there are a lot of things that could cause long-term problems. And bad technique, especially under pressure, always breaks down. Billie Jean King used to say that.”
What’s Next for Coco?
With the clay-court season on the horizon, Gauff has a chance to recalibrate. Her first test comes at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, starting April 14. The slower surface might offer more time to correct her serve mechanics and regain confidence.
But questions linger. Can she fix her serve before it derails her potential? Or will it continue to haunt her career, especially under pressure?
What do you think?
Can Coco Gauff overcome her serving woes, or will this continue to be the Achilles’ heel in her quest for the top spot?
