‘She’s Battling a Bit of a Mental Issue’ – Coco Gauff Leaves Andy Roddick Worried With Her Recent Run of Form

Coco Gauff is ruling the headlines but not for a good reason. Not only did she present poor serve skill on clay surfaces but her huge double faults disappointed fans a lot. Although this reigning US Open champion reached Rome’s semifinals, tennis fans termed her success as “ugly winning”. Now, coming to his junior’s rescue, Andy Roddick explains a significant reason why Gauff might not be able to showcase her best form on the tours recently.

In his podcast Served with Andy Roddick, this American tennis legend pointed toward Coco Gauff’s inconsistency with her serve, despite a strong performance in the Rome semi-final. “Coco had a great semi in Rome. You are kinda searching for serve a little bit. Hit the forehand as well as I have seen her headache,” said Roddick. While her first serve appears to be improving, her second serve remains a concern.

“Serve is still a bit, her first service actually a lot better in Rome. Second serve is still, you know, she is battling.” Roddick added. Andy’s comments suggest Gauff might be facing a mental hurdle when it comes to serving under pressure, despite demonstrating strong technique in practice settings. “I think she is battling a bit of a mental issue on the serve and you know you can do it in practice. But doing it in under the lights is a different deal.”

Since her Miami Open performance this season, Gauff has been criticized for her faulty serve and second-serve skills. Her forehand was equally criticized by the fans in Rome to the extent that they questioned Gauff’s ability to win the US Open trophy. However, Roddick believed that despite her struggles, it was commendable to see Coco Gauff performing so well. “She had it before. Like the last tournament she played in Cancun last year, she had 25 double faults in one match in November of last year. She will find it but the ability for her to like get through the tournaments and be the top players even if obviously she was struggling with something is phenomenal” said Roddick.

Performance-Plus Tennis, a YT channel, recently talked about Coco’s serve and her performance in Rome 2024. They highlighted a shocking number concerning the World No. 3’s faulty second serve: 41 double faults in 4 matches. While she played quite well in the Italian Open quarterfinals, Gauff still accumulated 6 Double Faults. Although she had a 67% first serve percentage, the speaker believes “her serve is definitely a topic of discussion”.

Moreover, Gauff has committed a staggering 213 double faults in 2024 so far, a significantly higher number compared to any other player in the top 100. This inconsistency with her serve has raised questions and sparked discussions about potential solutions to improve her game. In fact, Gauff has also revealed improvising and working on her playstyle to not repeat Rome’s failure in Paris.

Coco Gauff confirms “working on” her serving skills before the second Grand Slam event
A strong serve is a key advantage in tennis, but US Open champion Coco Gauff has encountered difficulties with her delivery during the clay-court season. Leading up to the Italian Open, she averaged nearly 10 double faults per match on the slower surface. Despite this challenge, Gauff managed to overcome 11 double faults in her three-set victory over Paula Badosa in Rome’s R16. The 20-year-old expressed optimism for improvement before the French Open.

Coco Gauff confirms “working on” her serving skills before the second Grand Slam event
A strong serve is a key advantage in tennis, but US Open champion Coco Gauff has encountered difficulties with her delivery during the clay-court season. Leading up to the Italian Open, she averaged nearly 10 double faults per match on the slower surface. Despite this challenge, Gauff managed to overcome 11 double faults in her three-set victory over Paula Badosa in Rome’s R16. The 20-year-old expressed optimism for improvement before the French Open.