It was 2023, and the tennis world saw the rise of a young American prodigy who took the tennis world by storm. Coco Gauff, then 19 years old, was highly dubbed as the heir to carry forward the legacy of the legendary Serena and Venus Williams and she rightfully did. Winning her first major title (US Open) at just 19 and then things looked pretty easy for her. But, everything took a huge turn and this year has been the exact opposite of what many might have thought of.

With only one title early in the year and a disappointing title defense at the US Open, things seem to have taken a downturn. This has led tennis experts and legends to weigh in on the situation. Rick Macci, the childhood coach of Serena Williams, shared his insights on what’s going wrong with the 20-year-old. He pointed out that a slight issue with her service is causing significant trouble.

He suggested a biomechanical fix that could prove to be the problem solver for her. “Once her Forehand and Serve get tweaked biomechanically she will someday be Number One on the Planet and be Rock Solid as Granite,” is what Rick Macci said. Echoing his statements was now Rennae Stubbs who also suggested the same thing.

In her recent podcast, The Rennae Stubbs Podcast, she came ahead and also suggested the same concerns that have been troubling Coco Gauff for a long time now. “You can change your grip slightly. It does take time. You can absolutely. You change your serve. There’s no question about it. I think she needs to change the grip a little on the serve. I think that’s half the problem,” said Stubbs.

These come after she recorded 19 double faults and just 14 winners during her game against Emma Navarro at the US Open. There’s a serious issue that the American star is currently struggling with, which has also impacted her WTA rankings. It will be interesting to see how she addresses this weakness. As for Gauff, she is aware of the problem, but the question remains— is she focusing on a long-term solution?

Coco Gauff once opened up on why she misses more serves

During her game at the Italian Open, Coco Gauff made an honest confession about her serve. She admitted to hitting multiple double faults, explaining that it was due to her attempt to push harder on her serves without compromising speed. Gauff also mentioned that her focus is on a long-term goal, which is why she was unwilling to ease up on her approach.

“I’m going big on the first serve, so I know I’m probably going to miss more. It’s just finding the balance of going big but also knowing when to slow down just to get the serve in,” Gauff said in the interview.

“I bet on myself to continue to go big. I know when I go big and my serve goes in it’s dangerous. Even though this tournament I want to win, I’m trying to think long-term. I don’t want to lose the 120 (mph) serve by not going for it,” she further added.

Thus, Coco Gauff has been clearly struggling with her biggest problem on the tennis court right now. While the experts have weighed on their opinion, it will be interesting to see how well things go in the coming time. What are your thoughts on this? Do let us know in the comments below!