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Coco Gauff has cemented her place as one of women’s tennis’ brightest stars, but the 21-year-old American has faced mounting scrutiny over her game, particularly her serve. Despite these challenges, tennis veteran Caroline Garcia has come to Gauff’s defense, highlighting her resilience, talent, and potential for long-term growth.
Gauff’s recent achievements
Gauff’s 2025 season has been impressive. After her breakthrough at the US Open two years ago, she captured the French Open title in June, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. This victory propelled her to world number two, generating speculation about her ability to surpass Sabalenka for the top ranking.
However, Coco Gauff currently sits third in the WTA rankings behind Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. While she has dominated many matches, her serve has been a recurring concern, with an unusually high number of double faults affecting her consistency.
Bold Team Changes to Improve Serve
In a strategic move to address these struggles, Gauff replaced longtime coach Matt Daly with Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics expert focused on refining her serve. The decision, made just before the US Open, was seen as a bold but necessary step toward long-term improvement.
Speaking on the Roland Garros podcast, former world number four Caroline Garcia defended Gauff amid criticism, saying, “I think it’s quite something to see how harsh people are on Coco [Gauff] because she’s so young, she’s been dealing with pressure since she was 16 years old.
And she has been dealing with it very well; she’s a two-time champion, she won Roland Garros this year despite doing double faults. If maybe she can still improve her serve and her forehand, how dangerous and how good is she going to be?”
Garcia further praised Gauff’s proactive approach, adding, “I thought from Coco it was a very bold move to change her team and to start work very specifically on her serve right before the US Open, which is probably the most important for her season.
That shows she wanted to play as good as possible at the US Open, but her mindset and goal were more for the mid and long term. She is a young champion who wants to see long-term [success], and she’s fully aware that this is a weakness for now, and she’s working on it for the mid and long term.”
Coco Gauff is set to return to action in Beijing next week, with hopes that her adjustments and training will translate into stronger performances on the court. With Garcia’s backing, the young champion enters the next phase of her career with confidence, determination, and the potential to reach new heights.
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