Gauff’s Grit: The Ace’s Honest Take on Her Tennis Evolution

Coco Gauff, the young American tennis sensation, is known for her powerful groundstrokes and mental fortitude. However, in a candid admission, she’s opened up about the specific area of her game that demands further attention. What is it, and what is she doing to address it?

Acknowledging the Weak Spot

Despite her impressive rise in the tennis world, Gauff is refreshingly self-aware. She readily admits that her forehand has been a consistent target for opponents. In fact, Gauff has acknowledged that her forehand is the weakest point of her tennis. She recognizes that opposing players will seek to exploit that area . While many see her as a formidable player, Gauff isn’t afraid to pinpoint the area she needs to improve.

The Forehand Focus

Coco Gauff has claimed that people don’t realize the work needed to improve her forehand . The shot has notoriously been the 19-year-old’s weaker side but she showed that she was becoming more solid after winning the biggest title of her career in Washington. But Gauff revealed that she would need to stop playing for a real intervention.

Tracy Austin, a former world number one, believes Gauff’s forehand is the key to unlocking her full potential. Austin stated, “When Coco finds the right balance and contact point on the forehand, she is offensive and dictates the game. In my opinion, and more than the serve, it’s the forehand that matters most for her today”. According to reports from early in the year, Gauff had been diligently working on her serve and forehand . These improvements are positioning her as a potential challenger at major tournaments .

One analysis of Gauff’s forehand draws similarities between her style and that of her idol, Serena Williams. While Williams boasts one of the best forehands in history, Gauff’s has the potential to get there with some tweaks. The analysis describes Gauff’s issue as “tilting the racket tip more forward toward the opponent during the backswing” . The element is similar to Madison Keys’ style, who also has a deadly forehand but has struggled with consistency issues . It means that Gauff is on the right track, but her timing needs further fine tuning .

Addressing the Issue

Gauff isn’t just acknowledging the issue; she’s actively working to improve. After a difficult start to the season, Coco Gauff is gradually finding her form . A finalist in Madrid in recent days, the American, who will rise to world No. 2 next Monday, has seamlessly continued her progress and qualified Thursday night for the final of the WTA 1000 in Rome after a tough battle against Zheng Qinwen (7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in 3h32 of play) . In this match, Gauff committed 15 double faults and wasn’t always consistent (19 breaks in total in the match), but she managed to secure the win . Now well into the clay court season, Gauff has rekindled the debate about the favorites for Roland-Garros according to former world No. 1 Tracy Austin, but she needs to improve in one particular area of her game, according to Austin .

• Coaching Adjustments: Following a disappointing end to her U.S. Open title defense, Gauff added coach Matt Daley to her team to shore up her serve and add aggression from the baseline . Daly focuses on the technical aspects of her game, while Jean-Christophe “JC” Faurel concentrates on footwork and shot selection .
• Grip Changes: Gauff has made adjustments to her forehand and serve grips, aiming to address weaknesses in her game .
• Aggressive Approach: Since the end of last year, Gauff has been trying to be more aggressive on her forehand side so opponents won’t feel as comfortable putting a ball there anymore . On slower courts, they will have to hit a very good shot to prevent her from being aggressive .

The Serve Needs Sharpening Too

After her final loss to Jasmine Paolini, Gauff expressed genuine admiration for the Italian but also emphasized the importance of refining her serve, an area the 21-year-old knows could define her Grand Slam chances .

Through last week’s Beijing final, Gauff has missed more than one in five of her second serves. The result: She has double-faulted 8.9% of her 2024 service points . No other woman in the WTA top 60 has double faulted so often . The typical tour regular loses barely half so many points this way .

More Than Just Technique

Gauff acknowledges that improving her forehand isn’t just about technical adjustments. It’s about her overall approach to the game.

• Aggression: Gauff recognizes that she plays her best when she’s aggressive. She’s making a shift in her game to be more comfortable with this style, even if it means experiencing some losses early on .
• Mental Game: Gauff is focused on development and how she’s playing, rather than putting pressure on specific events . She believes this approach takes the pressure off and allows her to perform her best .
• Learning from Losses: Even after a loss at the Australian Open, Gauff stated that she knows what she needs to work on and feels like she’s on the right path .

The Road Ahead

Coco Gauff’s honesty about her game and her commitment to improvement are commendable. While her forehand may be a work in progress, her dedication, combined with her existing strengths, makes her a force to be reckoned with in the world of tennis.

Gauff will now turn to preparations for the Hologic WTA Tour’s swing through the Middle East, with back-to-back WTA 1000s at the Qatar Total Open and Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships . Doha begins on Feb . The next known tournament for Gauff is the Qatar Open in February . She has a few months before the start of the second major of the season, the French Open, where she has her best win percentage in all the majors at 80% . She reached the semifinals last year, so we’ll see if she can finally capture the coveted clay title this season .