“There are some significant areas that can be corrected”: Former Olympic gold medallist questions Coco Gauff’s serve-focused strategy

America’s Coco Gauff is going through a mixed season. The 21-year-old has featured in 51 matches in 2025, winning 38 and losing just 13. She has a win percentage of nearly 75. While doing so, Gauff lifted a Grand Slam as well.

She won the French Open after beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final with a score of 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. Interestingly, however, it is the only title that Gauff has won in the singles category in 2025. Her most recent appearance was at the Shanghai Masters, where she was knocked out after losing in the semifinal to fellow countrywoman Amanda Anisimova in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-2.

Aside from winning the French Open, Gauff did not have promising outings in the other three major events, where she managed to advance to the quarterfinals or beyond only once. That was at the Australian Ope,n where she lost in the last-eight clash against Spain’s Paula Badosa in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 6-4.

At Wimbledon, Gauff suffered a shocking first-round exit after losing to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-1. At the US Open, Gauff lost to Japan’s Naomi Osaka in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-2. One of the reasons behind Gauff’s inconsistent performances on the court is her serve.

Gauff is leading the charts in the double-fault category in women’s tennis in 2025. She has committed 347 double faults in 51 matches, which is 95 more than any other women’s player in the ongoing season. To address this, Gauff has made some radical changes in the recent past.

Just days before the start of the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, Gauff decided to part ways with her coach, Matt Daly. The decision was a surprising one, as under Daly’s coaching, she went on to lift the French Open earlier this year. Gauff went on to replace Daly with biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, in what seemed to be a concentrated effort to address the serve issue.

The decision, so far, has not done her much favour. The decision of Gauff to change her coaching staff to focus on improving her serve has surprised a few as well. Former world number three, Russia’s Elena Dementieva, is one of them. The two-time Grand Slam runner-up has recently featured in an episode of ‘Hardcourt,’ where she expressed surprise at seeing Gauff’s decision. Dementieva was of the opinion that instead of just focusing on improving her serve, Gauff should concentrate on improving her forehand as well.

“I’m surprised that she chose a serving specialist, because in my point of view, it would be a good idea for her to somehow reconsider her forehand,” said Dementieva. “She is, of course, very well physically developed, but there is a one-handed game going on there. Right now, she’s just saving herself with her good physical shape, but there are some significant areas that can be corrected.”

Dementieva, who also won an Olympic gold medal in the singles category back in 2008 in Beijing where she defeated fellow countrywoman and the former world number one Dinara Safina with a score of 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, also stated that in her point of view, high number of double faults is not stopping Gauff from producing better results on the court. “I’m surprised, because you know she says she makes a huge amount of double faults, but it doesn’t stand out in the game,” Dementieva said. “You know, she wins Grand Slams with them, and when she makes them, is it a psychological problem or a physical one. I can’t say that I associate it with the technique.”