Rick Macci’s Confidence in Coco Gauff
Renowned tennis coach Rick Macci, who previously mentored Serena Williams and her sister Venus, has expressed strong confidence in Coco Gauff‘s potential to resolve her ongoing serving issues by 2026. Gauff has been battling a significant problem lately, racking up an alarming total of 431 double faults this season, the highest in the women’s game.
Current Serving Challenges
This alarming statistic reflects a second-serve success rate of merely 43 percent, which ranks as the lowest among the top 20 players. Additionally, her performance on serve games has been below par with a win percentage of 68.1, tying her with Jasmine Paolini for the worst record among the top ten players in the sport. In contrast, Macci pointed out that a similar pattern plagued Williams in 2024 when she also hit 430 double faults.
Macci’s Optimism for Improvement
The coach firmly believes that Gauff, with her work ethic and dedication, is on the correct path to significantly enhance her serve’s effectiveness. He noted that Gauff’s parents have played a crucial role in identifying the underlying issues affecting her performance and emphasized her commitment to rectifying these faults.
“Coco is on track because she runs the track. Her work ethic is unsurpassed,” Macci stated.
He elaborated on how great athletes with supportive families are capable of turning negative situations into learning opportunities. Macci projected that by 2026, Gauff’s first serve would reach new heights, detailing his optimism about her ability to achieve impressive launch speeds and pinpoint accuracy.
“Her first serve in 2026 will soar to the next level, with velocities nearing 130 mph and a kick second serve that will dazzle,” he remarked.
Recent Changes and Future Prospects
In a bid to refine her serving skills, Gauff recently severed ties with Matt Daly, a grip expert, right before the US Open, as their collaboration did not yield the hoped-for improvements. She has since enlisted the help of biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan, who notably assisted Aryna Sabalenka in reducing her double faults significantly since hitting a peak of 428 in 2022. Under MacMillan’s guidance, Sabalenka saw her errors plunge to 165 this year.
Following her training with MacMillan, Gauff found success, clinching the WTA 1000 title in Wuhan.
“Gavin became available at a pivotal moment, and I felt this was the right move for my game, given his past success with other players. I’m eager to learn from his expertise and see how it translates to my performance,” Gauff shared.
While she has been able to secure victories over lower-ranked opponents, the rising star recognizes that she must elevate her game to compete successfully on the larger, more intimidating stages of the sport.
