In a disheartening turn of events at the 2025 Cincinnati Open, Coco Gauff, the world No. 2 and reigning French Open champion, suffered a crushing quarterfinal loss to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, falling 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a match marred by her persistent serving struggles. The 21-year-old American, who has been a beacon of promise since her breakout at Wimbledon in 2019, committed an astonishing 16 double faults, a recurring issue that has plagued her 2025 season and sparked concern among fans and analysts alike. Despite a commanding start, Gauff’s unraveling serve handed Paolini the opportunity to stage a comeback, leaving Gauff to confront her technical demons as she heads toward the U.S. Open.
Gauff began the match with the poise of a champion, dominating the first set 6-2 by breaking Paolini’s serve three times and capitalizing on her 82.4% first-serve point win rate. Her athleticism and relentless court coverage seemed poised to overwhelm the No. 9-ranked Paolini, as they had in Gauff’s two previous hard-court victories over the Italian. However, the second set saw Gauff’s serve falter, with double faults piling up and her confidence visibly shaken. Paolini, displaying the resilience that carried her to the 2025 French Open doubles title, broke Gauff’s serve three consecutive times to level the match. “I tried to fight every point, and it worked,” Paolini said after the match, her joy evident as she celebrated her third WTA 1000 semifinal appearance of the year.
The third set brought further drama when Paolini twisted her ankle early on, prompting a medical timeout. Fans held their breath, but the Italian returned with grit, capitalizing on Gauff’s mounting errors. A critical moment came when Gauff, serving at 1-1, committed three double faults in a single game, gifting Paolini a 2-0 lead. Despite breaking back, Gauff couldn’t regain her rhythm, with her 62 unforced errors—70% of Paolini’s points—sealing her fate. The match ended with Gauff’s forehand sailing into the net, a fitting symbol of a night where her game unraveled. “It’s so much better when you get the serve in the court,” Gauff later vented, her frustration palpable as she reflected on her double-fault woes.
Gauff’s serving issues are not new but have reached alarming levels in 2025. She leads the WTA Tour with 250 double faults in 41 matches, far surpassing her peers, and her 23-double-fault performance against Danielle Collins at the Canadian Open earlier this month ranks as the fifth-highest in a WTA match. “I’m so disappointed in myself,” Gauff admitted after that Montreal win, noting that she skipped the Washington Open to refine her serve, only to see practice improvements fail to translate to matches. Her 2024 season was similarly marred, with 430 double faults, including 19 in a U.S. Open loss to Emma Navarro and 21 against Aryna Sabalenka in Wuhan. Yet, Gauff’s resilience shines through, as evidenced by her ability to win despite these setbacks, such as her French Open triumph over Sabalenka and a doubles title in Montreal with McCartney Kessler.
Analysts point to technical flaws in Gauff’s serve, particularly her grip and low elbow position, as noted by former doubles No. 1 Rennae Stubbs, who warned that these issues could be “a problem for her forever” unless addressed. Esteemed coach Rick Macci has offered to overhaul Gauff’s second serve, suggesting a switch to a platform stance to reset her muscle memory. “I could flip the script with her second serve and forehand,” Macci claimed, emphasizing the need for off-season work to correct her mechanics. Gauff herself has acknowledged the mental toll, admitting, “I definitely want to look at other things because I don’t want to lose matches like this anymore.”
Despite the loss, Gauff’s strengths remain undeniable. Her return game is elite, with a tour-leading 50% break rate, and her defensive prowess and mental fortitude make her a formidable opponent. “It’s unbelievable her ability to figure out ways to win when she is playing, honestly, C-level tennis,” said former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, marveling at Gauff’s Montreal victories despite 42 double faults across three matches. As Gauff prepares for the U.S. Open, where she won her first Grand Slam in 2023, the focus is on whether she can harness her practice form—where she claims to hit “30 serves in a row”—to overcome this persistent hurdle. With a biomechanics coach reportedly joining her team, Gauff’s quest to reclaim her form promises to be a compelling storyline in New York.
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