Exclusive: 'Gauff Could Dominate If Her Forehand Was Taken Care Of' Claims Macci
WTA
Legendary coach Rick Macci shared insights on Coco Gauff's forehand in an exclusive interview with Tennis-Infinity.com, claiming that with improvements, she could dominate the WTA Tour.
Coco Gauff's rapid rise to prominence on the WTA Tour was nothing short of remarkable. At just 19 years old, she has already amassed an impressive list of accomplishments, including reaching the Top 10 in the WTA Singles Rankings and the world No. 1 spot in doubles.
Despite her considerable success, however, her forehand becomes more and more targeted by her opponents, and it was apparent during her most recent loss at the 2023 Madrid Open to Paula Badosa who had a clear tactic going into the match.
Legendary coach Rick Macci believes there is still untapped potential for Gauff to dominate her competition. The key, Macci argues, lies in addressing Gauff's forehand, which can be turned from a weakness to a real weapon.
In a recent interview with Tennis-Infinity.com, Macci, a seven-time USPTA national coach of the year and USPTA Hall of Fame member, shared his thoughts on Gauff's forehand and its impact on her overall game. According to Macci, Gauff's current forehand technique stems from habits she formed at a young age, with muscle memory playing a significant role in her current form.
"She's done her forehand the same way since she's eight years old, she's now 19. So there's muscle memory, baked in double, triple, extra crispy, the way she's done it. She does have a western grip, but that's still not the issue, it's not the grip."
Macci explained that while Gauff's Western grip is not an issue, her high take-back and arm movement are. He believes that Gauff's body should be driving her arm, rather than the reverse, which is currently the case. This, Macci contends, results in an "arm shot" that can hamper Gauff's performance.
"She did have a high take back and it did go behind her. That could be changed and it has been modified a little bit. And her height, her arms are a little longer than a normal person for that height, she has longer arms."
"So there's a lot of movement there with the arm. But she does it backwards. Her arm pulls the body, where the body should be pulling the arm. The body should bring the racket. In Coco's case, it's an arm shot."
One thing that Macci acknowledged is that there is a long list of experts standing in the line, trying to advise the teenager on how to play. Recently, also former world no. 4, Mary Joe Fernandez said that Gauff should take some time away from competitive tennis to fix the issue.
"But let me ask you a question, don't you think that everybody has said something to this young lady and her dad about her forehand? Shorten a backswing, put a stick in your left hand, I could go on and on with the insanity and the experts who have given her advice of what to do."
Although Gauff's forehand has been a subject of scrutiny and critique, she has managed to reach the world's Top 10 with her existing technique. However, Macci insists that a biomechanical change is necessary for her to fully realize her potential and dominate her opponents.
"She's six in the world, Olympic sprinter with a racket, mentally strong, a great backhand and that's good enough to boom. But if she had a forehand that was glued together correctly, she might be dominating."
Macci acknowledged that making such a significant change is challenging, especially for an active player on the tour. However, he maintained that addressing her forehand would not only improve her overall game but also impact her mental strength and her opponents' perception of her on the court.
"Because that affects the mental, that affects your opponent. Right now, they're looking at that forehand side, when's it going to break down now? But you can't just say be more aggressive. Because she still has the same stroke."
"She doesn't really have time to take off the tour now. She wants to concentrate and make little adjustments. But that's not going to help because you still got the same stroke. You can take it early, you can shorten your backswing, you can hit it on the rise. Those things might help a little bit, but it still has to be a biomechanical change."
Despite the potential for improvement, Macci expressed confidence in Gauff's ability to win a Grand Slam with her current game. He praised her mental strength, athleticism, and solid backhand. Yet, he emphasized the importance of having a forehand and backhand that do not break down under pressure, especially on the WTA Tour.
"She can still win a Slam, but there's just a little hole that bubbles up under pressure, in women's tennis especially. You got to have a forehand and a backhand that doesn't break down. You got to have both sides. She's a great young lady with huge potential. In my opinion, I think Coco could dominate if this was taken care of."
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