“I don’t want to waste time on continuing doing the wrong things,” said Coco Gauff as she explained her sudden decision to hire biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan right ahead of the US Open. After all, quick decisions are what you take when you are averaging nearly 7 double faults a match. Gauff even confessed that she would have started working with MacMillan earlier had he been available. Perhaps that really would have been ideal for the Delray Beach native because she still needs to spend a lot of time working on her serves. A moment in the match against Donna Vekic only made that clearer, and the reality hit her harder than expected.

It happened in the first set itself, when Donna Vekic broke her serve at 4-4. The famed tennis journalist and commentator, Jose Morgado, took to X and wrote, “Gauff crying as she drops serve at 4-4…” The 2023 US Open champion had her face buried in her towel as she sobbed. Needless to say, Gauff desperately needed to rise up. And rise up she did.

As Vekic took a medical timeout towards the end of the, Gauff used that opportunity to hit practice serves. Finding her footing after the match resumed, Gauff edged out the Croatian 7-6(5) in the first set and closed things out with a 6-2 win in the second. The emotions, however, overflowed into her post-match interview.

Speaking about what went through her mind in the difficult first set, a teary-eyed Gauff confessed, “I was just trying to tell myself to breathe. And honestly, just putting another ball on the court and just trying to remember the things that I do well. Yeah, and I honestly, I don’t remember a lot at the end of the first set, to be honest. But yeah, it’s kind of amazing that I was able to get out of that one.” Well, one thing she couldn’t get out of was practice sessions with her new coach. And boy, they were tough!

Coco Gauff gets honest about her training troubles

Following her win over Tomljanovic in the first round of the 2025 US Open, Gauff revealed that training with MacMillan exacted a heavy toll. In the on-court interview, she said, “Honestly, really tough. Honestly [it’s] mentally exhausting. But I’m trying. I mean, it wasn’t the best today, but… it came in when it mattered. But you know, it’s an improvement from last week (in Cincinnati). And I think, you know, I’m just trying to improve with each match.” 

So, how does the #3 WTA star’s training regimen look like? Talking to the media in the post-match press conference, Coco Gauff revealed, “When I said that, I was referring more to the practice week, not the match. I mean, the match was, it is what it was. I’m so used to these long battles. But yeah, the practice week, it was tough, because I was spending a lot of time on court, literally serving until like, my shoulder was hurting. Yeah, it’s just tough.” In the entire match, Coco Gauff had her serve broken six times. Even with the intense training backing her up, she made 59 unforced errors and 10 double faults. 

And now, the curse is seemingly back. But what do you think of Gauff’s reaction after getting broken at 4-4 in the first set? As you proceed to the comments section, don’t forget to take a look at the EssentiallySports Live Blog for fresh beats from Flushing Meadows.