Gauff Hires Sabalenka's Coach to Improve Serve at US Open

Coco Gauff Seeks to Improve Her Serve with New Coach

The American tennis player Coco Gauff, aware of her problems with double faults, has taken drastic measures to improve her game. After firing one of her coaches, Gauff has hired Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics specialist who helped Aryna Sabalenka transform her serve.

“I know I needed to make a technical change and I don’t want to waste time doing things wrong,” Gauff said at Flushing Meadows.
Coco Gauff

Gauff, who won her first Grand Slam title in 2023 at Flushing Meadows, seeks to optimize her game for the upcoming US Open. The 21-year-old tennis player has expressed her desire to reach a higher level and is determined to invest in her development. MacMillan, known for his work with Sabalenka, managed to rebuild the world number one’s serve in 2022. The following year, Sabalenka won her first major championship and continued to achieve success, including the 2024 US Open. Currently, Sabalenka remains at the top of the WTA ranking, thanks in part to the improvement of her serve.

“I literally tried everything, and nothing helped me fix my serve. It was the last step before saying: ‘OK, goodbye, tennis’. I was so desperate that I didn’t hesitate in my decision,” Sabalenka commented on her collaboration with MacMillan.
Aryna Sabalenka

Gauff’s double fault statistics in the current season are worrying, accumulating 320, the highest number on the WTA circuit. This number exceeds by more than 100 the next player with the most double faults. Gauff averages 6.8 double faults per match, with significant peaks in some matches. In last year’s US Open, Gauff suffered 19 double faults in her fourth-round defeat. After that tournament, Gauff parted ways with one of her coaches, Brad Gilbert, and added Matthew Daly to her team. Now, Daly is no longer part of the team.

“I just want to get better. I’m obsessed with the process of getting better. Sometimes, maybe it hurts, because I get too obsessed,” Gauff said. “I feel like I have a clear future where I see myself, and I feel like I’m very close. I think this aspect of the game will bring it all together for me.”
Coco Gauff