Rennae Stubbs credited Aryna Sabalenka for her comments on Coco Gauff’s double faults.
The World number two faced the 20-year-old in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open and their eighth career clash was certainly a memorable one.
Sabalenka recorded a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in two hours and 26 minutes, but she was trailing 1-6, 2-4, before Gauff’s game imploded once the serve deserted her.
She served 21 double faults, 19 of which came in sets two and three and this allowed the Belarusian to capitalise and keep her Wuhan undefeated streak intact.
Gauff’s game has certainly improved since she began working with coach Matt Daly, but there is plenty of work to do on her serve.
What did Aryna Sabalenka say about Coco Gauff’s double fault issues?
Coco Gauff has served an alarming 391 double faults in 2024, more than any other player in the WTA Tour’s top 100.
There have been multiple matches where Gauff has gone into double digits for double faults, and they have cost her dearly, as they did against Aryna Sabalenka in Wuhan.
Earlier in the three-time Grand Slam champion’s career, she had crippling double fault issues of her own, before enlisting the help of a mechanics coach to turn her serve which was once a liability into the consistent weapon that it is now.
After their Wuhan Open semi-final, Sabalenka expressed her confidence in Gauff becoming the world’s best player if she can fix her serve, an act which was praised by Rennae Stubbs.
“You could see it too because she was like I have been there too, I have made 19 double faults in a match myself. She even talked about it in the post match,” Stubbs said on her self-titled tennis podcast.
“She was like, I have been there, I know what it feels like and once she gets that out of her system, she is going to be the best player in the world. I thought that was really [nice].
“If I’m Coco, I’m like ‘yeah, if this player who is arguably the best player in the world right now thinks this about me, and has been in the same place’ – that was a really great moment in sports for being a generous opponent and victor from Sabalenka.
What is Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff’s head-to-head record now?
Sabalenka levelled her head-to-head rivalry with Gauff at four wins apiece following her victory in Wuhan.
The American began the contest by playing arguably the best set of tennis in her career so far.
But while winning 6-1, 4-2, the 20-year-old’s serve let her down, as he served 18 double faults, nine each in sets two and three.
This allowed Sabalenka back into the match and she escaped with a win and in the process ended Gauff’s nine match winning run, which began with her journey to the China Open title in Beijing.
Sabalenka has now won her last two matches against Gauff, including January’s Australian Open semi-final.