US Open: Coco Gauff’s ‘bad technique’ criticised by former world No 1 as Nick Kyrgios makes coaching offer
Former doubles world No 1 Rennae Stubbs assessed that Coco Gauff has “bad technique” on her serve after the American’s exit at the 2024 US Open.
Gauff‘s US Open title defence ended with a three-set defeat to world No 12 and fellow American Emma Navarro in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
The 20-year-old star has been hampered by serving struggles at times this year and it was this area of her game that was particularly problematic against Navarro. She made only 46% of her first serves and hit 19 double faults.
“Overall, I think I played well for the most part. I just didn’t take care of my serve, so that was the biggest difference,” Gauff reflected in her press conference.
“I definitely want to get other opinions because… I think it’s sometimes more of an emotional, mental thing because if I go out on the practice court right now, I would make, like, 30 serves in a row. I’ve done it before.
“I think it’s also just kind of a mental hurdle that I have to get over when it comes with that. But, yeah, I definitely want to look at other things because I don’t want to lose matches like this anymore.”
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In reply to a Twitter user calling for Gauff’s coach Brad Gilbert to be replaced, Nick Kyrgios expressed his interest in coaching the American star.
“I’d coach her,” the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up wrote.
Stubbs — a former coach of Serena Williams — broke down the technical issues she sees with Gauff’s serve after the world No 3’s match against Navarro.
“Where is Coco’s confidence? The thing with Emma [Navarro] is that she is always looking to attack and most women are looking to attack because they often see a slow second serve in women’s tennis. Not like in the men’s,” the Australian told ESPN.
“But the difference with Coco is that sometimes she was hitting at like in a mid-90s second serve, then she was going a little bit slower in the middle. There’s no second serve, that’s the sign. And that’s a problem.
“So under pressure, bad technique breaks down and her technique is… hard for me to say because Brad [Gilbert] is sitting here… but her technique, the elbow, is too low, the grip is a little weird as well.
“So it’s hard for her to get that nice first serve and then the same or similar second serve.”
