"It's just too much of a handicap": Martina Navratilova gives one factor on how Coco Gauff can improve in 2024

American phenom Coco Gauff has taken the tennis circuit by storm over the past year, and retired pro Martina Navratilova believes Gauff could elevate her game even further to take her to the next level.

Gauff was thrust into the limelight four years ago, when she defeated Venus Williams and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon at just the tender age of 15. The reigning US Open champion has only gotten better, and experienced her breakthrough this summer when she won her maiden WTA 500, 1000 and Grand Slam title all within the span of four weeks.

"The next step for Coco? What happens with the forehand? Will she start hitting more forehands down the line or rolling it crosscourt?" queried Navratilova. "Late in the season, I noticed she was hitting those loopy forehands more often. I really look forward to what [coach] Brad [Gilbert] tries to do -- if he tries to change the forehand and her extreme western grip. Because when she was trying to hit low balls with her [existing grip] the ball sometimes was bouncing before it got to the net.

“I think that’s where the grip is so limiting -- it’s physically impossible to get under the ball when it's that low with that grip. Change it to make it a little bit easier to hit those low balls -- or maybe she just learns to re-grip and use a slightly different stroke. One of those two things has to happen because it’s just too much of a handicap -- she misses too many balls when they’re really low."