'Going To Be Problem Forever': Gauff Given Brutal Assessment Of Her Serving Struggles
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Coco Gauff's issues on serve have generated much attention. Rennae Stubbs described what she believes are the American's technical faults with that shot.
Gauff hit more double faults than any other WTA player in 2024. That is partially caused by her playing more matches than most on the women's circuit because she wins so often, but Gauff's double faults per match were still much more than her rivals at the top.
That issue has persisted in the opening months of 2025. It gets commented on more when the 21-year-old's results are not what she expects, as has been the case since she lost in the 2025 Australian Open quarterfinal to Paula Badosa.
Gauff's coach Matt Daly, who replaced Brad Gilbert in September, initially seemed to be helping her to reduce the number of double faults per match during her runs to the WTA Finals and China Open titles, but the issue has since resurfaced.
Stubbs hosts a widely acclaimed podcast. Regular guest Andea Petkovic asked the Australian if she had watched her service motion live and mentioned the high number of double faults in Gauff's 2025 Miami Open loss to Magda Linette.
"Coco Gauff, a disappointing month for her in Indian Wells, in Miami. Did you see her service motion live? I just saw it on video. She served, for those who haven't maybe followed, she served 12 double faults in her straight sets loss against Magda."
Serena Williams' former coach responded by describing the technical issues she feels cause Gauff's problems on serve and included a quote from the iconic Billie Jean King to support her points.
"I just, her grip is wrong. I think her elbow gets super low and sort of so close to her body. The left arm jumps down. There's so many little technical things that are going to be a problem for her going forward forever. Because it doesn't just go away. You know, Billie Jean King always said bad technique breaks down under pressure."
Stubbs' assessment is pretty brutal. Gauff's fans undoubtedly do not want to hear or read that her serve will remain an issue for the rest of her career since that could have a significant effect on how successful she is.
This is not the first time Stubbs has criticized Gauff's serve. In another recent episode of her podcast, she mentioned it as one of the areas that repeatedly falters under pressure during matches.
Another infamous example was when Stubbs critiqued Gauff's serving technique with her then-coach Gilbert standing just inches away at the 2024 US Open. That moment proved that Stubbs does not hide her true feelings, regardless of how it makes other people feel.
The 54-year-old is also not a fan of Iga Swiatek's serve. Stubbs believes it is the area that the four-time French Open champion has not improved and thinks the Pole's technique makes it impossible for her to mix things up with it.
Although she does not mince words, Stubbs is a respected analyst whose insights are worth taking seriously.
