Despite securing a spot in the Round of 16 at the 2025 Canadian Open, World No. 2 Coco Gauff isn’t celebrating just yet. While her progress in WTA Montreal reflects her mental toughness and competitiveness, the 21-year-old admits she’s grappling with frustrations about a crucial part of her game: her serve.
Fighting through flaws
Gauff, who entered the tournament as the top seed, has not dropped a match so far—but her path hasn’t been smooth. Across her first two encounters in Montreal, the American tallied a staggering 37 double faults—23 in her opener and 14 more in her second match—an alarming statistic for a player of her caliber.
In her post-match press conference, Coco Gauff opened up about the internal battle she’s facing despite her victories.
“There are positives and negatives,” she said. “Obviously, I'm very disappointed with myself regarding that part of the game just because I didn't play in Washington to work on it, make changes, and do well in training, where I was serving very well, so I would like that to transfer to the match.”
Mental strength and physical grit
Gauff’s honesty comes as a testament to her evolving maturity on tour. Rather than glossing over her challenges, she emphasized the emotional and physical grind that comes with elite competition.
“Maybe I got a little mad at myself, so I could relax a little more. It's been tough matches here, but I'm happy to have overcome this one today. My energy level is there,” she explained.
“I'm not yet at the point where these matches wear me out physically. I was training in Florida for three weeks, with three-hour sessions, three and a half hours, plus physical training at 32 degrees and with humidity. So, it's not as long as it seems, but I would love for these matches to last less than two hours, although if that's what it takes, I'm here to endure.”
Finding positives amid the pressure
Despite her disappointment, Coco Gauff is clinging to optimism. She pointed out that her ability to win matches with a shaky serve is proof of her resilience and tactical resourcefulness.
“The positive is that I'm winning these matches literally having a part of my game on crutches,” she said. “It's as if I could lean on both feet, then I can only imagine it would be much easier and much simpler for me.”
She also took comfort in her performance during doubles play, where her serve was far more reliable.
“Yesterday, in doubles, I didn't commit any double faults, so that was good. It's definitely a positive thing. I would like to serve in singles as I do in doubles… I’m trying to transfer that mentality to singles, but it’s not that easy.”
Eyes set on improvement
While her serve remains a clear work-in-progress, Coco Gauff knows where she wants to go from here.
“I know I'll probably never be free of double faults, but if I could reduce it to 2% or 3%, that would make a big difference and would make these matches much easier.”
As Gauff heads into the second week of the Canadian Open, she does so not just with her eyes on the title—but with a determined focus on self-improvement.