Coco Gauff Struggles with Serve, Fires Back at Coach

The 21-year-old French Open champion has been dealing with serving issues for nearly a year.

Mar. 2, 2026 at 11:31am

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Despite being the reigning French Open champion, 21-year-old Coco Gauff is struggling with her serve, which has been an issue for nearly a year. Gauff made a coaching overhaul before last year's US Open in an effort to fix her double-fault problem, hiring serve specialist Gavin MacMillan. However, the serve has remained inconsistent, and Gauff lost her cool during a marathon match against Elina Svitolina, hitting her head with her racket and having a one-sided conversation with MacMillan.

Why it matters

Gauff's serving struggles are a concern, as she is a fan favorite during the upcoming US Sunshine Double at the WTA 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami. Her ability to fix her serve will be crucial to her success in these high-profile events.

The details

Gauff's talent and athleticism have helped her overcome the double faults against lower-ranked players, but the issue has persisted. Fans noticed that Gauff was hitting her head with her racket and having a one-sided conversation with MacMillan, where she said she was doing what he told her to do for the last six months. Gauff is hyper-focused on her serve and has played less doubles, which some believe could help reduce her stress and work out the serving kinks.

  • Gauff made a coaching overhaul days before last year's US Open.
  • Gauff lost the match and her cool against Elina Svitolina on Friday.

The players

Coco Gauff

A 21-year-old American tennis player who is the reigning French Open champion.

Gavin MacMillan

A serving coach who helped World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka overcome her serving yips a few years ago.

Elina Svitolina

A Ukrainian tennis player who defeated Gauff in a marathon match.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

What’s next

Gauff will want to fix her serve quickly before the upcoming US Sunshine Double at the WTA 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, where she is a fan favorite.

The takeaway

Gauff's serving struggles highlight the importance of consistent serving in women's tennis, where tall players with big serves have dominated. Gauff will need to find a way to improve her serve if she wants to maintain her status as a top player on the WTA Tour.