One facet of Coco Gauff’s recreation has been torn aside in recent times.
Coco Gauff has struggled together with her serve (Picture: Getty)
Coco Gauff’s serving woes have been a scorching subject every time she’s taken to the court docket over the previous couple of years. In 2024, she served 430 double faults throughout her matches all through the season. Final 12 months, she hit 431. Gauff has responded by hiring biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan, who beforehand helped Aryna Sabalenka together with her personal double faulting issues.
It’s not been a simple street for the world No. 4. Whereas competing in Dubai final month, she appeared to show to her field and gestured to MacMillan about her serve. “I’ve executed every little thing you’ve requested, and it’s not gotten higher,” she stated. However Gauff rediscovered her kind and confidence on the current Miami Open, reaching the ultimate of her dwelling event for the primary time in her profession.
Gauff was nonetheless made to work for it, profitable her first 4 matches in three units, together with a 6-3 1-6 6-3 victory over Belinda Bencic within the quarter-finals. She blitzed Karolina Muchova within the semis, however misplaced to world No. 1 Sabalenka in a three-set ultimate.
After going through Gauff lower than per week in the past, Bencic has now had her say on the American’s recreation, and defended her towards the repeated criticism of her serve. “She’s a tricky opponent. Now we have some nice matches each time we play, and it’s actually admirable how she strikes. You positively really feel just like the court docket is far smaller,” the world No. 12 stated.
“I wish to assault, in fact, and she or he makes it actually arduous. She makes you replay balls. Her serve can be very robust. I do know she will get a whole lot of feedback and this and that, however her serve is excellent. It’s very quick when she places it in.
“In fact, typically you’ll be able to have some issues with the rhythm and every little thing, however I don’t suppose she ought to get a lot unfavorable feedback as a result of her recreation may be very distinctive, and a really completely different rhythm. She alters pace and spins and rhythm. She actually can play in all places within the court docket, and likewise she’s shifting nice. So, she’s clearly a really deserving No. 3 or No. 4 on this planet.”
Belinda Bencic defended Coco Gauff towards ‘unfavorable feedback’ about her serve (Picture: Getty)
Not everybody agrees with Bencic, nonetheless. On the 2024 US Open, when Gauff was the defending champion, she hit 19 double faults as she bowed out to Emma Navarro within the fourth spherical. The 22-year-old later admitted she “didn’t handle her serve”.
The character of the loss sparked concern, and tennis legend John McEnroe informed Eurosport: “I don’t know what has occurred. She remains to be having points together with her serve, she remains to be having points together with her forehand. She appears to be extra outwardly annoyed on the court docket and venting greater than I’ve seen earlier than. I suppose that’s simply the stress of expectations. Individuals are simply saying, ‘Oh, go and observe within the footsteps of Serena Williams’. You’re like, ‘Oh actually, that can be simple’. Give me a break.”
Gauff’s serve has continued to fire up debate within the tennis world. Rennae Stubbs, a former doubles world No. 1 who beforehand coached Serena Williams, just lately informed Tennis.com: that the world No. 4’s serving issues have been “90 per cent mechanical and 10 per cent psychological.”
She added: “The issue is that the ten per cent turns into 50 per cent as soon as the serve begins going off, as a result of dangerous method breaks down beneath stress. There are such a lot of mechanical points with Coco’s serve that it’s actually troublesome to alter at this level, however I do suppose it’s potential. I do know Gavin is attempting his greatest.”
However Gauff’s rivals have a unique view of her recreation, one that may encourage the Miami Open runner-up subsequent time she steps on the match court docket.
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