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When 15-year-old phenom Coco Gauff reached the Round of 16 of Wimbledon in 2019, she raised public expectations to sky-high levels and generated more hype than any American tennis player since the Williams sisters. Although the Delray Beach, Florida native has achieved unequivocal success at just 21 years of age, she has yet to meet that truly elite standard. Gauff has plenty of time to attain such dominance, but it will not happen until she conquers her kryptonite.
The two-time major champion and world No. 2 endured another stinging defeat this summer, falling to No. 9 Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open on Friday night — 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Despite winning the first set in commanding fashion and looking in decent shape during much of the second, Gauff committed a whopping 16 double faults. She continues to squander opportunities with her consistently erratic serve.
Although one should never discredit a fierce and accomplished competitor like Paolini, Gauff was positioned nicely for a deep run and potential victory in the Queen City this weekend. If this was merely one tough defeat, no one would even flinch, but the low moments are piling up in the second half of 2025.
Will Coco Gauff break out of slump in time for U.S. Open?
Gauff has not reached the semifinals of a singles tournament since toppling No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open Final. She suffered a shocking first-round exit in Wimbledon and lost a Round of 16 matchup to rising Canadian Victoria Mboko in Montreal's National Bank Open in the beginning of August. What is most concerning about this poor stretch is that everyone can easily identify the biggest problem: she cannot get the ball in the box nearly enough.
Gauff herself tried to rectify the issue when she parted ways with acclaimed coach Brad Gilbert last September, and yet, the excessive double faults continue under Jean-Christophe Faurel. She is the reigning Queen of Clay and did take the women's doubles crown in Montreal alongside McCartney Kessler, so perhaps a turnaround is on the horizon.
Like Coco Gauff said herself, players are bound to hit at least a snag or two over the course of a long and grueling tennis season. But a couple of stumbles is starting to turn into a limp, and this double-fault epidemic is not merely a consequence of the yearlong grind. An inefficient serve has derailed this exceptional athlete too many times, leading to on-court frustrations that only make matters worse.
Despite the inconsistency, Gauff remains one of the best talents in the women's game today and is already halfway to the career Grand Slam. If she can clear this service barrier, then an aura of invincibility may soon accompany her.
