‘She Is Double Faulting Outrageously’- Coco Gauff Warned About Dangerous Slump in Form Amid Her Pursuit of A 2nd Grand Slam

Coco Gauff rocketed into 2024. For a short while? Her powerful serve and athletic groundstrokes conquered Auckland, bringing home the ASB Classic trophy. The Australian Open continued the dream run, a ten-match win streak propelling her all the way to the semi-finals. But then, something shifted. The Melbourne magic faded after the clash with Aryna Sabalenka with Finals becoming a distant memory. As recently highlighted by a few tennis pros, the young prodigy seems to be struggling with a persistent issue – the dreaded double fault.

Renowned Serena Williams’ former coach Rennae Stubbs recently took a moment to point out a critical flaw that might be a major hindrance to the attempts of rise for Coco Gauff. Gauff claimed her first Grand Slam title by winning the US Open in September 2023 and reached a career-high ranking of three in the world. Stubbs pointed to the diminishing graph of Gauff’s serve in a recent podcast.

“Everyone talked about the forehand…What the f*ck..again, the serve is killing her,” expressing concern, Rennae warned Coco about her recent slump in form. Stubbs further highlighted the rising frequency of Gauff’s double faults, particularly on clay courts, where she is “double faulting outrageously.” According to Stubbs, this negative trend marks a potential threat to Gauff’s performance, stating, “And that is a no-no.”

Serena’s coach also expressed concern about Gauff’s future on harder surfaces, where a weak serve could be even more dangerous. “What is going to happen when she goes on hardcourt? Where the serve really you know the second serve on clay when you hit a shitty Second serve, it’s not going to kill you that much,” she added.

“She is double faulting in double digits,” declared Stubbs. She highlighted the pivotal role of serving in Gauff’s matches, pointing it as a major factor that led to her recent loss 6-7, 6-4, 4-6 against Madison Keys. In the Round of 16 at Madrid, Coco committed 13 double faults, including two in the final game, ending her run hopes for the title in Madrid.

Moreover, during her participation at the Indian Wells Masters this year, the American WTA star made it to the semi-finals by defeating China’s Yuan Yue. Despite the fact that Gauff was able to take her down in straight sets, Coco Gauff gave rise to mighty concerns as she committed a total of 17 double faults in 10 service games. Andy Roddick, too, feels Coco’s second serve is an issue.

Is double fault taking Coco away from the ‘Top 3’?

Tennis legend Andy Roddick, on his podcast “Served,” pointed out a growing divide at the top of women’s tennis. The red-hot trio of Iga Swiatek, and Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina, with a combined seven titles this season, are setting a scorching pace. This dominance raises questions for Coco Gauff. “But Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina have separated themselves from her so far this year.”

“I think Coco was in that conversation, post-US Open last year. I think she’s maybe struggled a little bit more, a lot of double faults.” Further hinting at Gauff’s weak second serve, Andy said, “First serve actually looks pretty good…from where I sit the ball toss looks a little too forward on the second serve.”

As Gauff looks forward to her participation at the Italian Open, it still remains to be seen if she will be able to work on the shortcomings. “I do think she will find it and she will be a dominant server,” assures Andy of Coco’s serve.