"Gauff’s serve could have been a five minute fixing job" - Former Wimbledon champion highlights how Gauff can eradicate persistent serving problems

Coco Gauff's serving issues have been something that has plagued her whole career, with the problem showing its worst self in recent times. While it seems that she has tried everything to fix it, former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash believes there is a quick method to solving her current woes.

Despite all the problems she has had serving in the past, it has not prevented her from becoming one of the best tennis players in the world, winning her first Grand Slam at the US Open as a 19-year-old before last year completing a terrific clay swing with a surprise Roland Garros title.

However, the results would dry up as the season continued, with her serving problem at its worst in the US Open, where she was forced to tears at one point. It was more gritty and determined performances that saw Gauff continue to win matches. She took home the Wuhan Open title in incredible fashion before suffering an early exit in the WTA Finals where she was defending the title from 2024.

Cash believed that the serving problems could be solved in five minutes, eradicating a lifetime of problems. “Gauff’s serve could have been a five minute fixing job, but she has taken her years to sort it out,” Cash told Tennis365.

The American had recruited biomechanic coach Gavin MacMillian to help her out ahead of the US Open in a desperate cry for help with the double fault tallies reaching new highs. He has worked wonders before in the past, with Cash seeing this up close. “I worked alongside Gavin MacMillan as we found a solution to Brandon Nakashima’s serve and now he has gone on to become this serving guru.”

Cash would ponder why more players were not using the bucket load of knowledge that former players have, with a lot of wasted solutions and tricks not finding their way to current tennis players which in turn stunts their progression in the sport.

“As an ex-player, you are selling your intellectual knowledge to a player,” Cash stated. “You are selling 30 or 40 years of knowledge and experience and that is invaluable. They pay you a certain amount of money for that and it needs to be valued and it’s not at times. They often shoot themselves in the foot and not following through with what they are doing or taking good advice."

He used another example from a different sport. “I’ve seen it so many times that players are getting rid of their coach and we are also seeing it in football where Chelsea are sacking their manager when they lose a couple of matches. Where has that got them?" he queried.

“Sticking with a coach works and you look back at the best players in tennis and they have had success doing that. What we are seeing is a trend of players getting rid of coaches because of a few dollars here or there," he added. "You give a player all your knowledge and you want them to work with you to consolidate that into a good career. What happens to often is they take that information and off they go. We are seeing that a lot and by and large, it doesn’t work and they shoot themselves in the foot.”

While the likes of MacMillian have proved their worth in the sport, players hesitance to go to past players is something that Cash believes could be holding the likes of Gauff back in her quest to stay at the pinnacle of tennis.

Now down to world number four, she is looking for a pathway back up the rankings. Currently competing for her country in the United Cup, she will turn her attention to the Australian Open as she looks to kick the year off with a brace of titles.