Not all is going well in the camp of Coco Gauff of late. Shortly after winning the 2023 US Open title, she became one of the players to watch out for in the last season. However, she has lost her footing in recent weeks. Following a semifinal exit at the Australian Open, Gauff suffered shock defeats in Doha and Dubai. Despite a poor run of form, legendary coach Rennae Stubbs has high hopes for her.
The next month is set to be a big one in the tennis calendar as the Sunshine Double is set to take place. With two important tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, Gauff will be competing on her home turf. Here’s what Stubbs had to say about the American sensation.
Rennae Stubbs backs Coco Gauff to come back stronger
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In the recent episode of Racquet’s Rennae Stubbs Podcast, the 52-year-old Australian coach mentioned Coco Gauff’s recent struggles. While she admitted her recent performances weren’t up to the mark, Stubbs also believed she would emerge stronger on her home turf.
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Stubbs said, “And you know, getting her back into the US obviously, with Indian Wells and Miami, she’ll have tremendous support. So that really does help. And she does play great with support. And with the crowd really behind her in the Middle East. It’s just like very just stay Oh, yeah. Just nobody really watches until maybe the final because you know, who’s gonna go and watch tennis in the Middle East.”
Further, she went on to add, “I mean, it’s like, you’ve got people that are either billionaires or people that are working. You know what I mean? There’s no in-between. Yeah. So So or, you know, millionaires who don’t want to watch tennis. But yeah, but it’s not the best place to promote women’s tennis.”
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Gauff has been much talked about in the tennis world ever since her Grand Slam victory in 2023. With the spotlight on her, another coach had once pointed out a big weakness in her game.
Forehand trouble for Gauff?
In her recent performances, it has become quite evident that Gauff’s forehand is a big weakness in her game. Her opponents have taken full advantage of it, exploiting Gauff’s forehand side of the game. Even renowned tennis coach, Eric Riley, spoke on this matter.
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He said, “Gilbert’s got Gauff. Okay. But I mean, that forehands got to get better, Coco’s got a chance to move to anyone well, on any surface play in particularly because she moves so well. And she’s gritty, you know, I’m saying.”
If Stubbs’ prediction is to come true, Gauff will have to work on her forehand. It’ll be interesting to see how she performs in the upcoming tournaments on her home turf.