As one of the most promising young stars in tennis, Coco Gauff has had an exceptional rise to the top of the WTA rankings. However, her 2024 season was marked by struggles with one of the most crucial aspects of her game: her serve. In the face of this challenge, Gauff has openly expressed her frustration and desire to improve, particularly in the second half of the year when her serving woes became even more pronounced. Recognizing the potential for growth, her childhood coach, Rick Macci, has shared some valuable advice with the world No. 3 on how to tackle these issues and experiment with new techniques during the offseason.
Macci, who is perhaps best known for his work with Serena Williams and Venus Williams during their early careers, believes that this offseason could be a perfect opportunity for Gauff to experiment with different serving techniques and strategies to discover what works best for her. With a significant focus on finding mental and physical solutions, Macci’s advice emphasizes the importance of trying new things when it comes to her serve. According to Macci, this is the time for Gauff to play around with her technique and embrace changes that may feel counterintuitive, ultimately leading to a more consistent and effective serve.
Serve Woes and the Road to Improvement
As tennis fans and experts are well aware, Gauff’s 2024 season was full of highs and lows. While she reached the finals at multiple prestigious events and claimed her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, the year was also marked by ongoing struggles with her serve. Throughout the season, especially in the latter half, Gauff found herself struggling with consistency and, most notably, double faults. By the end of the year, she had racked up a staggering 430 double faults, leading the entire WTA Tour in that category. Given that she played 71 matches in 2024, this statistic translates to roughly six double faults per match, a number that clearly needs addressing.
Despite her overall success, Gauff was vocal about her frustrations with her serve and made it clear that she was determined to find a solution. In several interviews throughout the year, she noted that she was open to hearing different perspectives and advice from those who might offer a fresh viewpoint on her technique. One of the key moments where her serving struggles were on full display came during the 2024 US Open, where Gauff’s title defense ended in the Round of 16 at the hands of Emma Navarro. In that match, Gauff hit an astonishing 19 double faults, a performance that ultimately cost her the match.
After the loss, Gauff acknowledged that her struggles with her serve were likely both a mental and emotional hurdle. She explained, “I definitely want to get other opinions because, you know, and also I think it’s sometimes more of an emotional, mental thing because if I go out on the practice court right now, I would make 30 serves in a row. I’ve done it before. I think it’s also just kind of a mental hurdle that I have to get over when it comes with that.” Gauff’s admission of the mental aspect of her serving woes reflects the level of self-awareness that she brings to her game and her commitment to improving every aspect of her play.
During the same post-match press conference, Gauff went into further detail, pinpointing a specific issue with her serve: “I go down on my left side a lot on my serve, and it’s something I’m aware of, but it’s tough in the moment to I guess try not to do it.” This observation of her technique shows that Gauff is not only dealing with a mental barrier but also grappling with specific technical flaws that are difficult to correct under pressure.
Rick Macci’s Advice for Gauff: Experimentation and Flexibility
With the offseason now underway, Macci’s advice to Gauff is clear: experiment with different serving techniques and find what feels right for her. On X (formerly Twitter), Macci shared his thoughts, saying, “The time for pros to improve is the offseason. Experiment on the serve since you are in control. Changing from pinpoint to platform or platform to pinpoint could help and understanding that it is counterintuitive regarding the leg drive innates the racquet entry.” Macci’s suggestion to experiment with different serving styles—such as switching from pinpoint to platform stance or vice versa—can help Gauff explore which technique suits her body and mindset the best.
Macci’s advice emphasizes a crucial aspect of professional tennis: the offseason is the time to make changes and experiment without the pressure of competition. Players have the space to take risks and adjust their game in a way that might not be feasible during the intensity of the regular season. For Gauff, experimenting with her serve could provide the breakthrough she needs to take her game to the next level. Macci’s point about the counterintuitive nature of some changes is especially relevant. For example, a change in the way she drives with her legs could lead to a different racquet entry, which in turn could help improve the consistency of her serve.
Challenges and Setbacks: A Changing Coaching Team
In the aftermath of her US Open loss, Gauff made the decision to part ways with her long-time coach Brad Gilbert and hire Matt Daly to help guide her for the remainder of the season. This shift in coaching came with mixed results. Gauff had a strong showing in Beijing, where she won a WTA 1000 tournament, and she also reached the semifinals in Wuhan. However, during her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the Wuhan final, Gauff set a negative record by hitting a staggering 21 double faults during the match, the most ever in a single WTA match in 2024.
Despite the frustration of setting such a record, Gauff remained positive, noting that she was working on new aspects of her serve and that the changes she was making would take time to fully take effect. “New things. Yeah, working on a new thing. It’s expected. I only had really a week to learn it, then I went to Beijing. I knew it wasn’t going to be great. I’m honestly, like, surprised of how well I was able to do with it,” Gauff said after the Sabalenka loss. She acknowledged that the lack of time to practice between matches made it difficult to fully implement the changes, but she remained optimistic about her progress.
At the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where Gauff claimed the title, she reflected on the challenges of trying to correct a fundamental aspect of her game, such as her serve, in the middle of the season. “You kind of have to correct it, and you’re playing matches. Everything just feels fresh and new. It is difficult, but you got to think of the long-term and the long run. I feel like this is the right decision,” Gauff said.
Looking Ahead to 2025: Can Gauff Solve Her Serving Woes?
The question on many minds now is whether Gauff can resolve her serving issues before the start of the 2025 season. With the offseason ahead, Gauff has the opportunity to work on her serve in a more controlled environment, where she can experiment, make adjustments, and fine-tune her technique. Macci’s advice to explore different serving techniques could be a game-changer, giving Gauff the tools she needs to overcome the mental and physical barriers that have been holding her back.
As she works through her serving struggles, Gauff remains one of the brightest young talents in tennis, with a career trajectory that suggests she will be a dominant force for years to come. With the right adjustments and a continued commitment to growth, it is very possible that the 2025 season could see a more consistent and confident Gauff, ready to make an even bigger impact on the tennis world.
For now, all eyes will be on the American as she enters the offseason, hoping that the experiments and tweaks she makes to her serve will bring the success and consistency she is striving for as she prepares for another exciting year on tour.