Coco Gauff hit a new low in her serving performance but still secured a gutsy win at the Canadian Open, coming dangerously close to breaking a 14-year record for double faults in a match. On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, the world No. 2 fought back to defeat fellow American Danielle Collins 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2) in a grueling 2-hour, 55-minute first-round match at IGA Stadium in Montreal. Gauff’s 23 double faults marked her worst serving display in a singles match, tying the fifth-highest total recorded since 2011, according to posts found on X and tennis analytics. This figure nearly matched the record of 25 double faults set by Sofia Arvidsson against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the 2011 Australian Open, a mark that has stood for 14 years.
Despite this serving struggle, Gauff showcased resilience, saving a match point at 5-6 in the third set and clinching the tiebreak with an ace, improving her career record to 11-2 in decisive tiebreakers. Her 37 winners and 54 unforced errors highlighted a chaotic match, with 18 breaks of serve shared between the players. Collins, who served 13 double faults, pushed Gauff to the limit, serving for the match before faltering. Gauff’s victory, her first since the French Open, comes after a first-round Wimbledon loss, signaling a mental rebound at 21, as noted by ESPN analysts.
This performance raises questions about her consistency, especially on hard courts where her serve has been a vulnerability, with critics suggesting pressure from her packed schedule—post-French Open media tours and a coaching change—may have contributed. Yet, her ability to overcome such a serving low underscores her fighting spirit, a trait admired since her 2019 Wimbledon breakout. As she advances to face Anna Kalinskaya, Gauff’s gutsy win at 12:30 PM WAT on July 30, 2025, in West Africa, keeps her on track for the US Open defense, though her serving woes remain a concern to address.
