Former WTA player Rennae Stubbs has criticized Coco Gauff and her serving technique after her most recent disappointment at the 2024 US Open, urging her to work on it.
The discourse around Gauff has always been about the way she does things. Nobody has ever really questioned the American's work ethic, as she has a tremendous one, but it hasn’t yielded the sort of outcomes many, probably including herself, had hoped for.
Her forehand has caught the most criticism in the past. It’s not exactly a spectacular shot, and it doesn’t have to be, but with the way modern tennis is played, having a strong and reliable forehand is hugely advantageous for a player.
Looking at the best players in the world, they all have a really reliable forehand. Gauff doesn’t, and she’s been urged to fix it but hasn’t done so yet. Her serve is another shot that’s been very hit-and-miss.
It’s been poor lately, as she totaled 19 double faults against Emma Navarro. It was the main reason she lost the match, and it’s a problem. The serve is the only shot in tennis a player completely controls, so having a consistent is paramount.
Gauff has the potential to have a great serve because she can generate lots of power, but she lacks precision. Former player Stubbs, who sat next to Gauff's coach, Brad Gilbert when talking on ESPN, broke down why her serve isn’t as reliable as it should be, and to her, it all just comes down to bad technique.
"Where is Coco’s confidence? The thing with Emma [Navarro] is that she is always looking to attack and most women are looking to attack because they often see a slow second serve in women’s tennis. Not like in the men’s."
"But the difference with Coco is that sometimes she was hitting at like in a mid-90s second serve, then she was going a little bit slower in the middle. There’s no second serve, that’s the sign. And that’s a problem."
There is plenty of truth to what Stubbs has been saying, as many people have echoed similar sentiments. Brad Gilbert is one of the best coaches out there, but he hasn't been able to change much in Gauff's approach.
He hasn't pushed for it either, trying to work with what is already there. It works really well most of the time, but there remains a sense of wonder about where Gauff could be as a player if she cleaned up some of the problems in her game that are holding her back.
"So under pressure, bad technique breaks down and her technique is… hard for me to say because Brad [Gilbert] is sitting here… but her technique, the elbow, is too low, the grip is a little weird as well. So it’s hard for her to get that nice first serve and then the same or similar second serve."
With a great serve and a more consistent forehand, Gauff could be a tremendous player, likely world number one, and could win dozens of Grand Slams.
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