'How harsh people are on Coco': WTA colleague defends Gauff amid frequent criticism
NewsSaturday, 20 September 2025 at 22:55
Coco Gauff is one of the most criticized players on the WTA Tour despite being a two-time Grand Slam champion at 21.
Gauff arrived on the WTA Tour at a very tricky time. It was about the time when Serena Williams' career was coming to an end, and as a young teenager with incredible talent, many quickly saw similarities between Serena and Gauff.
She has been compared to the legendary American throughout her tennis career, and she has to deal with those comparisons almost every time she succeeds or fails.
At 21, Gauff is already a two-time Grand Slam champion. She won the 2023 US Open and this year's Roland Garros. Still, there are those who criticize the young American player.
Caroline Garcia, who was one of Gauff's colleagues on the WTA Tour this year, spoke about the two-time Grand Slam champion during her recent appearance on the Courtside Conversations podcast.
Garcia is disappointed to see how many people criticize Gauff, especially considering how incredibly successful she is at such a young age.
"I think it’s quite something to see how harsh people are on Coco [Gauff] because she’s so young, and she’s been dealing with pressure since she was 16 years old. And she has been dealing with it very well."
"She’s a two-time [Grand Slam] champion, she won Roland Garros this year despite doing double faults and having sometimes a forehand when she can frame, but she won Roland Garros despite that. If maybe she can still improve her serve and her forehand, how dangerous and how good is she going to be?"
Caroline Garcia gives verdict on Coco Gauff's team change ahead of the 2025 US Open
Ahead of this year's US Open, Gauff made a relatively surprising change when she stopped working with Matt Daly and hired a biomechanics expert, Gavin MacMillan, who previously helped Aryna Sabalenka.
The young American was asked about her decision in New York, and she explained that in her mind, it's a long game, so whether she makes the change ahead of the US Open or some other event doesn't matter to her. She wanted to improve as a player as soon as possible.
Speaking on the Courtside Conversations, Garcia admitted that she was also surprised by the move, but at the same time, it showed her that Gauff is someone who always wants to improve.
"I thought it was a bold move from Coco to change her team and start to work very specifically on her serve right before the US Open, which is probably the most important tournament of her season. But that means she wanted to play as good as possible at the US Open, and her mindset was also on the long term."
"It doesn't matter if she might have lost earlier at the US Open. She is a young champion who wants to see long-term, and she seems to be fully aware that it's her weakness right now, but she works on it, and respect for that."
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