Coco Gauff’s Weakness Exposed Using Famous Billie Jean King Reference as Former Serena Williams’ Coach Minces No Words With Her Criticism

Among today’s young players on the tour, Coco Gauff is one of the finest examples of stellar growth. The reigning US champ boasts the World No. 3 position, even coming close to displacing Aryna Sabalenka at No. 2, before Gauff had to bow out of the Madrid Open. But tennis experts opine that there is still a lot of room for improvement in her game, especially her serves. Almost all of the tennis world has an opinion on it but Serena Williams‘ former coach may have gotten closest to the issue.

On the Racquet’s Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Rennae Stubbs revealed, “Billie Jean King always says bad technique breaks down under pressure. And she [Coco] has bad technique on her serve, particularly the second serve, and the forehand to a degree. So under pressure, it’s going to break down. So I see it in her face.“

Stubbs loves watching Coco Gauff and has hailed her as a “great champion.” “But I see her face, like just drop, like, can’t get a serve in. And I’m thinking, oh my god, like, because you’ve got to change the technique. And if she changes her technique, everything’s just gonna flow for her because she has everything else. But you got to get the point started. And she’s losing out on being able to hit her 120 miles-an-hour serve because she can’t get into the court.”

Even Gauff is tired of making the same mistake again and again.

After an early Madrid exit, the American star is preparing for the Italian Open. Her no. 1 priority? “I think for me it’s just serving better than I did last week, honestly,” Gauff told reporters at the Foro Italico. “I feel like that’s the part that if I can work that through, I think it will set me up for a very good Roland-Garros.”

The onus of it also lies on her team, and Stubbs has shared wwords of wisdom for Gauff’s coach before. A few months ago, Williams’ former coach criticized Brad Gilbert for not making any significant efforts to work on Coco Gauff’s “weaknesses”. She specifically pointed out that Gauff’s forehand and second serve were letting her down every time.

Gilbert, once revealed how he used to get bombarded with texts calling for him to “fix” her forehand and grip after he started working with the American tennis sensation.

He had earlier brought in his former student, Andy Roddick to take a look at Coco Gauff’s serve. His role was basically to help the young American simplify her motion during her serves but when he saw her play, the retired ATP star was “blown away” by the WTA youngster.

“I think Coco will be a dominant server” – Andy Roddick has no doubts about Coco Gauff’s potential

During a conversation on ‘Served with Andy Roddick’, the former world number one revealed how Coco Gauff understood the concept in just 15 minutes. He gave her tips and showed her the right process to get the most out of her services. Now, it’s time for her to implement that on the court. Can she ace her aces in the near future?

“I think Coco will be a dominant server. I was blown away by the two or three days we spent together. The feedback she’s able to give, what she’s able to take in, and the professional manner,” Roddick looked quite impressed with the youngster. He further went on to add, that he was “blown away” to see the work ethic of someone as young as Coco Gauff.

From a young gun, she has now become a force to reckon with on the women’s tour! Share your thoughts on these opinions. Do you think Coco Gauff needs a lot of improvement in her game?