Coco Gauff, the 21-year-old American tennis sensation and world No. 2, faced a stunning setback at the 2025 Canadian Open in Montreal, falling 6-1, 6-4 to 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko in the fourth round. The defeat, which unfolded in a swift 62 minutes, marked a disappointing end to Gauff’s campaign at the WTA 1000 event, where she was the top seed. Despite her commanding 33-10 hard-court record this season and a recent French Open title, Gauff’s performance was marred by persistent serving issues, including a staggering 37 double faults across her three matches in Montreal. Tennis legend Lindsay Davenport, a former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion, has weighed in, expressing confidence that Gauff’s resilience will drive her to rebound strongly as she prepares for the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, starting August 24.
Gauff’s Montreal journey was a rollercoaster of grit and frustration. She opened with a grueling 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2) victory over compatriot Danielle Collins, overcoming a career-high 23 double faults in a nearly three-hour battle. “It was a tough battle out there,” Gauff admitted, adding, “Making serves into the court was the toughest challenge.” Her third-round match against Veronika Kudermetova was equally challenging, as she rallied from a set down to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, despite 14 more double faults. “Not my best but good enough for today,” she said, acknowledging her mental toughness despite technical struggles. However, against Mboko, Gauff’s serve faltered again, with no service breaks and a performance she described as feeling “out of sorts from the start.” The home crowd’s support fueled Mboko, who capitalized on Gauff’s 54% first-serve percentage to secure her biggest career win and climb to No. 65 in the live rankings.
Davenport, speaking on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast, pinpointed Gauff’s serving woes as a technical issue in transition. “It was interesting she kept looking down at her grip when she was serving. It looked like they were trying to make some changes with the serve,” Davenport observed, noting Gauff’s lack of confidence in her revamped technique. “Her toss was all over the place. But she still wins. It’s unbelievable her ability to figure out ways to win when she is playing, honestly, C-level tennis out there.” Gauff’s 23 double faults against Collins marked the highest in a WTA 1000 match this season, surpassing her own 21-double-fault record at Indian Wells. Despite these struggles, Davenport praised Gauff’s emotional resilience, saying, “She did a fantastic job managing her emotions,” a quality that has defined her ability to win “ugly” matches.
Gauff’s defeat to Mboko, a rising star who previously took a set off her in Rome, highlighted both her vulnerabilities and Mboko’s potential. “She’s a completely different player, completely different person,” Gauff said, dismissing comparisons between herself and the Canadian. “I don’t think it’s fair to put that on her as well. I do see someone who is going to have a really bright future, for sure.” Mboko’s aggressive style and home-court confidence overwhelmed Gauff, who admitted, “I knew she would come in with a lot of confidence, and I haven’t played the best this tournament.” The loss threatens Gauff’s No. 2 ranking, with Iga Swiatek poised to overtake her if she wins the Canadian Open title. Aryna Sabalenka, absent from Montreal, remains a distant No. 1 with 12,225 points.
Davenport believes Gauff’s response to this setback will be a focused push to refine her serve ahead of the US Open, where she aims to defend her 2023 title. “I just would like to serve how I do in doubles in singles,” Gauff said, hinting at her intent to address the issue in practice. Her work with grip specialist Matt Daly, who tweaked her racket hold last year, has shown progress on clay, where she won the French Open, but hard courts expose her inconsistencies. Rennae Stubbs, Serena Williams’ former coach, suggested Gauff’s second serve could be “rewired easily” with proper adjustments, while Rick Macci called her mental game “beyond elite.” With Cincinnati offering a chance to regain momentum—Gauff has no points to defend there—she is well-positioned to climb back toward the top 32 for a US Open seeding. As Davenport predicted in 2019, when Gauff stunned Venus Williams at Wimbledon, “She looks physically and mentally ready.” That readiness, coupled with her knack for overcoming adversity, makes her a formidable contender despite this Montreal stumble.
Leave a Reply