"Always going to be a fighter and contender": Coco Gauff has common misconception says Coco Vandeweghe

Former U.S. star Coco Vandeweghe believes Coco Gauff continues to prove her fighting spirit every time she steps on court, especially against familiar rivals like Jessica Pegula. Speaking on Tennis Channel, Vandeweghe praised Gauff’s ability to rise in big moments while also highlighting key areas of her game still developing.

But while the serve is often discussed, Vandeweghe sees a common misconception about Gauff and one that she banishes by producing on serve consistently. They were discussing the WTA Finals prior to their match at the Wuhan Open which saw Gauff scoop the trophy seeing off Pegula.

Often when it seems like Gauff is going through a slump, she manages to pull it out of the fire and suddenly out of nowhere she manages to win a title something that Vandeweghe managed to marvel on amid the constant conjecture which breaches Gauff surrounding her serve and her issues with double faults which is an ongoing battle.

“Anytime we’ve tried to count Coco out, she shows up and wins and dominates these players that we think, ‘Oh, this should be a lot closer,’” Vandeweghe said on Tennis Channel. “Or maybe Jess Pegula should dominate this matchup. But like you said, Vicky, they know each other so well. They used to play doubles together, and they’ve really been the backbone of American tennis for the last couple of years.”

A major focus for Vandeweghe remains Gauff’s serve, which has been a point of attention since her team introduced technical tweaks earlier in the season. While progress is visible, she believes the biggest payoff will come with more time.

“We’re always going to be looking at that serve because of the changes she’s made and the little nuances,” Vandeweghe explained. “Will it happen at this tournament right now? I don’t think so — it needs a little bit more time. But I think putting this serve under pressure is going to be really important for next year.”

Even so, Vandeweghe sees Gauff’s competitive fire and resilience as constants that keep her in contention week after week.

“She’s always going to be a fighter, always going to be a contender,” she said. “Whether or not she can uphold against someone who’s hitting big — and depending on the court conditions — that’s going to be a huge factor. If it’s a quick surface, then you can rush her forehand a bit, because Coco’s been kicking a lot of her serves to get a higher first-serve percentage instead of going for the bigger one. That becomes more attackable the more opponents see it.”

The numbers certainly back up Gauff’s dominance on hard courts. She’s now won nine straight hardcourt finals — a feat last achieved by Serena Williams. In fact, only two Americans have ever lifted the title in Wuhan, with Serena being the most recent to do so.

With both Gauff and Pegula among the world’s elite, Vandeweghe was asked whether this could be a preview of what fans might see at the WTA Finals — potentially even an all-American final.

“Yeah, it could be a bit of a preview,” Vandeweghe said. “Any chance we get of seeing Pegula and Coco both make it to the final depends on the draw. That’s always going to play a big part.”

Pressed for a prediction, the former world No. 9 offered a playful pick while acknowledging the uncertainty that comes with tournament draws.

“I’m just going to go with a quick pick — I’ll say Coco against Anisimova,” she said. “But obviously, we’ve got to see how the draw gods line it up. We’ll find out soon enough.”