Coco Gauff’s biggest flaw continues to haunt her. It was there during her US Open round of 16 exit at the hands of Naomi Osaka. It was there when she was leading records for double faults and choppy serves. Sure, she’s working with a “serve doctor,” Gavin MacMillan, to improve things now, but Serena Williams’s ex-coach now believes that very flaw has the potential to become her biggest weapon. 

In a tweet posted to his X account, Rick Macci said, “Because Coco fights and can fly, she never says good bye. Her serve will become her best shot and she contend again for the number one spot. If she is reprogramed with the more compact explosive ATP FOREHAND, the Delray Dart will be number one in the land. @CocoGauff.”

The 69-year-old Floridian coached Venus and Serena Williams in their formative years, along with Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova, and built a reputation for spotting raw talent early. He already has a knack for identifying technical fixes or untapped strength. So when he posts that about Guaff’s serve and forehand– despite her struggles, it may not be empty words. But does this mean the World no. 3 is fixing something that isn’t broken?

Let’s scroll back just a little. Through match after match this U.S. Open, Gauff’s serving woes haven’t just been a cosmetic issue, but have shaped the outcomes of her toughest moments. Against Ajla Tomljanović in the first round, she piled up 10 double faults and was broken six times, even serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set before errors caught up to her. In her second-round bout with Donna Vekic, the pressure showed again: seven double faults, four of six service games lost in just the first set — she even broke down on court, visibly overwhelmed. Then came her match versus Naomi Osaka, where, although her serve wasn’t the only problem, it weakened her hold on critical games; she was broken four times and had five double faults.

These lapses have meant Gauff frequently gives up free points at key junctures, saps her confidence, and forces her to win far more grueling rallies just to stay in matches she might otherwise dominate.

She’s continued to face tough scrutiny over serving woes from fans and analysts alike. Tennis legend Rennae Stubbs may have praised the many great things Gauff has been doing, but also remarked, “I don’t understand why now she has literally two coaches (and) nothing has changed on her serve…like the ball toss is so far ahead of her on the second serve.” 

Even before that, when she hired MacMillan alongside Jean-Christophe Faurel, the duo credited with helping Aryna Sabalenka repair her serve, Macci had openly praised her decision, saying, “This can be solved real quick and make her serve click.” Seems like he had a change of mind. But Guaff still knows there’s work to be done.  “I’m not gonna waste my time playing the way I don’t wanna play,” she’d said. And yet, despite the US Open upset against Osaka, a former tennis star thinks she has plenty of time to do that. 

Coco Gauff has ‘lots of time’ to figure out her serve!

Appearing on the Nothing Major Podcast, American tennis star Steve Johnson vocally stated how Coco Gauff’s issues with her serve have had a ripple effect on the rest of her game. He explained that when a player struggles to serve consistently, as Gauff has, it places added pressure on other areas like the forehand, backhand, and movement—eventually leading to a breakdown on court. Even so, Johnson stressed that not all hope is lost.

“She’s going to figure it out. She won a slam this year, she’s still three in the world—lots of time left for her,” said the 35-year-old, backing the 2x Grand Slam winner to take her time and improve on it as much as she can. As for her drive for improvement, it was something that Gauff was asked about ahead of the US Open, whether it was innate or something that came with experience and success. The World No. 3 was clear: “No, I’ve always been like that.”

“For me, I just wanna get better. I’m obsessed with the process of getting better,” she acknowledged before adding that how this obsession of hers can sometimes feel overwhelming, but continued that it gives her a clear vision of her future. Gauff concluded that improving this particular aspect of her game will ultimately bring everything together for her. Well, that’s the hope, isn’t it? Share your views in the comments.