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Coco Gauff’s impressive run to the Miami Open final has once again brought her technical shortcomings into focus, with serving inconsistencies continuing to overshadow her progress.
Despite working with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan, the American star has struggled to fully resolve long-standing issues with her serve.
While Gauff has enjoyed notable results, including a title in Wuhan and a runner-up finish in Miami, her service game remains a glaring concern.
Statistically, she leads the WTA Tour in double faults, highlighting a recurring weakness that continues to impact her performances at crucial moments.
Expert points to fundamental flaw in technique
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has offered a detailed breakdown of what he believes is going wrong in Coco Gauff’s technique, emphasizing a core imbalance in her serving motion.
“Coco is missing one of the fundamental things that I talk about, and that’s the one-third balance in our serves, which is partially forwards and backwards, up and down and the rotation.
“So you need to get those things in balance, and Coco is missing one of those. It’s pretty simple, and for me, it’s just slightly off sequence.”
Cash’s analysis suggests that the issue is not overly complex but lies in the sequencing and balance of her movement—key components of an effective serve.
A fix exists—but requires time and precision
Despite identifying what he considers a “simple” flaw, Cash acknowledged that implementing a solution is far from easy and demands consistent effort and technical refinement.
“For me, it’s very, very simple how to fix it. Very simple, but it takes a lot of work, and so she’s maybe not quite got it there, and there are other things in her game as well that she needs to work on, but she’s a great player, and she’s a great athlete, so she should be able to fix these things.
“It’s one thing knowing what to do. It’s one thing sort of saying, oh, she does this. It’s like, yeah, I know if she does that. How do you fix it? That’s the thing.”
His comments underline the gap between diagnosing a problem and successfully correcting it at the highest level of competition.
Questions remain over coaching impact
Cash also raised subtle doubts about whether MacMillan’s expertise will ultimately translate into long-term improvements for Coco Gauff.
“I think it takes a lot of experience, and maybe Gavin has it, maybe he doesn’t. I’m not sure. We’ll have to wait and see.
While Gauff’s talent and athleticism remain unquestioned, her serving issues continue to be a critical area for development. With the spotlight intensifying after Miami, how quickly she can address these flaws may define her trajectory in the coming months.
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