**Coco Gauff Faces French Open Armed With Bizarre Forehand Advice From Former World No. 1**
Coco Gauff, the World No. 2, is heading into the 2025 French Open with newfound confidence, bolstered by unconventional forehand advice from former World No. 1 Andy Roddick. Following her 6-4, 6-2 loss to Jasmine Paolini in the Italian Open final on May 17, 2025, Gauff revealed Roddick’s quirky tip on Tennis Channel’s TCLive, saying, “Andy told me to ‘throw the racquet at the ball’ on my forehand to get more spin and freedom. It sounds bizarre, but it’s starting to click.” The advice, reported by EssentiallySports.com, aims to address Gauff’s forehand struggles, which produced 28 unforced errors in Rome, per ESPN.[](https://www.essentiallysports.com/wta-tennis-news-coco-gauff-faces-french-open-armed-with-bizarre-forehand-advice-from-former-world-no-one/)
Roddick, who worked with Gauff during the off-season to refine her serve and forehand, emphasized loosening her grip to generate topspin, crucial for clay’s high-bouncing rallies. “Her forehand gets tight under pressure. It’s about swinging through, not guiding it,” he noted, per @TheTennisLetter on X. Gauff, who reached the 2022 French Open final, tested the advice in Rome, where her aggressive forehand helped her defeat Victoria Mboko and Zheng Qinwen, though Paolini’s tactical play exposed lingering inconsistencies, per TennisUpToDate.com.
The “throw the racquet” metaphor, while unusual, encourages Gauff to commit fully to her shots, a mindset Roddick believes suits her gritty, attritional style, which he called her ability to “drag opponents into the gutter,” per EssentiallySports.com. Fans on X, like @SK__Tennis, are optimistic, noting her clay pedigree—junior champion in 2018—makes her a contender, while @DrTumi cautioned her serve remains a liability. Gauff’s +650 odds, behind Iga Swiatek (+160), per Oddspedia, reflect her potential.
Despite Madrid and Rome final losses, Gauff remains upbeat, saying, “I’m bringing a better level to Paris,” per @WTA on X. Her $525,475 Rome cheque, per Sportskeeda, and No. 2 seeding, per @josemorgado, add momentum. Roddick’s bizarre yet effective advice could unlock her forehand, positioning her to challenge Swiatek and Paolini at Roland Garros, starting May 25.
