One of Serena Williams' former coaches has extensively praised Coco Gauff and believes she will soon become the world's No. 1 player.
Gauff was at No. 2 in the rankings for some of 2024 but slipped to No. 6 after being unable to defend the points she earned from winning last year's Cincinnati Open and US Open during the 2024 North American hardcourt swing.
The 20-year-old decided to part ways with her coach, Brad Gilbert, after the US Open and appointed Matt Daly, who has worked with Denis Shapovalov in the past, as his replacement.
Immediate success followed that move. Gauff won the second WTA-1000 title of her career at the China Open, overcoming Karolina Muchova in straight sets in the final after an outstanding performance.
That was backed up by reaching the semifinal of the Wuhan Open the following week, which took her to No. 3 in the rankings. Despite playing one of the best sets of her career against Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal, Gauff ultimately lost 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The principal reason for that defeat was hitting 21 double faults, the most in a WTA match this season. Gauff has struck 391 double faults in 2024, more than any other WTA player in the Top 100.
Going through spells of hitting several doubles is not a new issue for Gauff. However, the issue has undoubtedly become more acute this year and is something new coach Daly will try to address.
One man who thinks the American's serving issues can be quickly fixed is Serena Williams' ex-coach, Rick Macci. He says biomechanically rewiring the serve could lead to her problems with it being resolved in less than an hour.
Macci has now lauded several aspects of Gauff's tennis. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the 69-year-old named four elements of last year's US Open champion's game that are the best on the WTA Tour and predicted she will become No. 1 soon.
"Her overall quickness is number One. Her make up speed is number One. Her backbone is number One. Her slice serve on the deuce court is number One. Coming soon to a court near you Coco Gauff will be number One."
There is a debate about whether Gauff or Swiatek is the quickest player on the WTA Tour. Swiatek's new coach, Wim Fissette, believes the Pole is the best athlete in women's tennis, but Macci thinks his compatriot's speed is superior.
Macci's outstanding coaching credentials mean his opinion should certainly be taken seriously. He has worked with Serena and Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati, and Maria Sharapova, all of whom reached No. 1 in the world.
Despite Gauff's serving woes against Sabalenka, the early signs of her partnership with Daly were positive. The 20-year-old's forehand, the other recurring issue in her game, was already improved.
Daly is known as an expert in grip changes, and he might be helping Gauff to adapt her infamously extreme grip on her forehand to attack more effectively during matches.