“When I serve well, I play pretty well,” is what Coco Gauff has to say about her game so far. The former US Open champion recently made a staggering decision of parting ways with renowned coach Brad Gilbert. Right from the time Matt Daly joined her side, the 20-year-old has shown commendable improvements. While there was a time when struggles lingered all around her form, she managed to turn the tide and went on to win the China Open title. Despite failing to be intact at the Wuhan Open, Gauff’s recent finesse has got expert attention. Who? It’s Roger Federer‘s ex-coach, Paul Annecone who gave a shoutout to one of Coco’s strengths.

Roger Federer’s former coach, Paul Annecone recently appeared on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast (Released 26th October). Amid a detailed analysis of WTA pros, he applauded Gauff’s defensive skills and highlighted her exceptional movement on the court. He acknowledged the fact that Gauff is one player who can defend well even when rushed. “Coco Gauff can defend from all different areas forward in the court, even when she doesn’t have a lot of time. Her footwork is great when she’s deep in the court,” he said. Annacone compared her athletic potential to that of Emma Navarro’s. He described how both players show excellent movement and extend points with impressive footwork.

Coco Gauff recently made strategic changes to her coaching team to take her game to the next level. After a long-time successful partnership with coach Brad Gilbert, which helped her clinch her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, Gauff decided to part ways with him. She added Matt Daly to her team to work alongside her long-time coach, Jean-Christophe (“JC”) Faurel. This signaled a fresh approach for the remaining part of this season and the upcoming one.

Speaking with WTA Insider in Beijing, Gauff expressed her excitement, saying, “This is probably what it will look like next year too. I’m super excited for a new change and hopefully to improve other parts of my game.” While she values her collaboration with Gilbert, Gauff felt it was time for a “reset” to add specific elements to her game.

Gauff’s serve remains a concern. Her inconsistency was evident in her match against Aryna Sabalenka at the Wuhan Open semi-finals. Although the American started strong, she won the first set 6-1 and led 4-2 in the second. However, her serve faltered under pressure, resulting in a staggering 21 double faults—the most in a 2024 main-draw match. The serve issue proved costly as Sabalenka turned the game around to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. With her updated team and focused training, Gauff is now targeting to address these vulnerabilities. However, despite surpassing Gauff with sheer dominance, Sabalenka made a gesture that won the fans’ hearts in a snap.

Aryna Sabalenka sympathizes with Coco Gauff over her struggle with serves

Aryna Sabalenka could relate to Coco Gauff’s frustration during their Wuhan Open semifinal after Gauff’s serve fell apart. This led to 21 double faults and a missed opportunity to secure the match. Post victory, Sabalenka reflected on her own past issues with double faults, which had similarly disrupted her game. Speaking after the match, Sabalenka shared, “I was playing that match thinking, ‘Well, girl, I feel you. I feel you like nobody else,’” acknowledging her deep understanding of the mental challenge Gauff faced as her serve faltered.

Gauff’s difficulties gave Sabalenka a renewed sense of belief. Sabalenka, who has struggled with similar issues, previously led the WTA Tour in double faults but overcame them by working with a biomechanics trainer to stabilize her serve. She sympathized with Gauff, saying, “This is really tough. But I know that if she’ll be able to overcome this serve situation, she’s already one of the best players, but I’m pretty sure she’s going to be one of the greatest players.” Her words offered encouragement along with a highlight of Gauff’s potential to turn her current challenges into future strengths.

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