Coco Gauff, one of the brightest young stars in women’s tennis, has already achieved remarkable success at just 20 years old. A Grand Slam champion and consistent presence in the top ranks, Gauff has proven she can compete with the very best. However, one part of her game continues to haunt her: the serve. And recently, a former Grand Slam winner and prominent voices in tennis have weighed in, identifying technical flaws as the root of her struggles.
Gauff’s serve has been under scrutiny for some time, and it took center stage once again following her early exit from the 2024 US Open. In her fourth-round clash against Emma Navarro, Gauff produced a staggering 19 double faults—11 of them in the final set alone. The breakdown contributed heavily to her 3–6, 6–4, 3–6 defeat. Reflecting candidly on the performance, Gauff admitted, “I just didn’t take care of my serve. That was the biggest difference. Too many free points on my serve.”
This wasn’t an isolated incident. Gauff’s serve has been an erratic element of her game, sometimes functioning well, and at other times, unraveling under pressure. Rennae Stubbs, a former Grand Slam doubles champion and ex-coach to Serena Williams, believes the issue lies deep in Gauff’s mechanics. “Under pressure, bad technique breaks down,” she explained. “The elbow is too low, the grip is a little weird as well.” Stubbs stressed that the technical imperfections become especially evident in tight moments, where reliability is key.
Yet not everyone believes the issue is long-term or insurmountable. Esteemed coach Rick Macci, who played a vital role in the development of Venus and Serena Williams, offered a more optimistic take. “Coco and her second serve can be fixed in less than an hour,” Macci claimed, asserting that the flaws are biomechanical in nature and could be corrected with the right guidance and repetition. In his view, a few minor adjustments could transform Gauff’s serve from a liability into a weapon.
Gauff herself is not shying away from the challenge. She’s acknowledged that the serve isn’t just a technical issue—it’s also mental. “I definitely want to get other opinions,” she said. “I think it’s also just kind of a mental hurdle that I have to get over.” That willingness to explore new perspectives led her to bring in grip specialist Matt Daly, and under his influence, Gauff found some success, including strong showings at the China Open and WTA Finals.
Despite those signs of improvement, Gauff’s serve remains a work in progress. Her athleticism, shot-making ability, and fighting spirit keep her competitive in almost every match she plays, but if she wants to consistently dominate the top of the women’s game, this one area may be the key.
As the season progresses and Gauff prepares for the next Grand Slam challenges, her serve will remain under the microscope. But if her past trajectory is any indication, she has both the mindset and the drive to confront this weakness head-on. For a player of her caliber, it’s not a question of if she can fix it—but when.