Coco Gauff's strong end to the 2024 season did not prevent the American from being No. 1 on a list no player wants to finish top of.
Gauff played quite well until the end of the clay court season in 2024, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open, French Open, Indian Wells Open, and Italian Open, but she could not make a significant final.
The American's recurring issues with her forehand and second serve were the main reasons she struggled to go further than the semifinals. In truth, Gauff reaching that many semifinals despite those issues was a testament to her mentality.
However, those issues became more severe during the grass court and the subsequent North American hardcourt swings. After losing to Emma Navarro in the US Open fourth round, Gauff parted ways with coach Brad Gilbert.
The decision to split with Gilbert and hire Matt Daly proved astute. Gauff won her second WTA 1000 title at the China Open in her first tournament with Daly, producing an outstanding performance in the final against Karolina Muchova.
After reaching the Wuhan Open the following week, Gauff entered the WTA Finals with some momentum. She began with a comprehensive victory against her frequent doubles partner, Jessica Pegula.
That was followed by beating Iga Swiatek for just the second time in 13 matches to qualify for the semifinal, where she defeated the year-end No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to set up a final against Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng.
The two played one of the best and most physically grueling matches of the season, but Gauff's mental strength shone through again. She recovered from a break down in the second and third sets to triumph 3-6, 6-4, 7-6.
Gauff's achievements led to her being shortlisted for the WTA Player of the Season. The other players nominated are Sabalenka, Swiatek, Zheng, and Jasmine Paolini. Sabalenka is the favorite to win the award after winning two Grand Slams and finishing as the world No. 1.
Although Gauff's second serve improved at the WTA Finals after the work she and Daly did on it, her issues with it did not completely disappear. That is demonstrated by last year's US Open winner finishing with more double faults than any other player.
Gauff ended the season with 430 double faults. The most she hit in one match was 21 in the Wuhan Open semifinal against Sabalenka, meaning she lost that match despite dominating most other parts of the contest.
Although improving her second serve will undoubtedly be a significant goal for 2025, the number is slightly less alarming than it might look because Gauff played 71 matches in 2024, more than any other player.
For example, Marta Kostyuk, who had the best season of her career, hit more double faults per match on average than Gauff, but her overall total of 370 was still fewer than the American because she played fewer times throughout the season.
Gauff, one of the hardest working players in the men's or women's game, will be confident of improving her serve with new coach Daly and hopefully decreasing her number of double faults in 2025.
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