Andrea Petkovic gives her ‘hot take’ on Coco Gauff’s inconsistent start to the season

World No.3 Coco Gauff is searching for her first title of the 2025 season and has not yet reached a singles final.

Andrea Petkovic gives her ‘hot take’ on Coco Gauff’s inconsistent start to the season

Coco Gauff, Andrea Petkovic (Image via X/The Tennis Podcast, Australian Open)

Coco Gauff, after winning the China Open and her first WTA Finals title last year, started 2025 with the hope of producing a strong performance. She was successful in doing so, winning all her matches in the United Cup before helping the USA win the title in the final against Poland.

She continued her winning ways at the Australian Open but couldn’t reach the semifinal as Paula Badosa ended her run in the last eight. Since that defeat, Gauff has only struggled.

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Gauff had a forgetful run in the Middle East Swing, losing her first matches in Doha and Dubai before 2021 Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic eliminated her from the Indian Wells fourth round. In Miami as well, the 21-year-old couldn’t move into the quarterfinals as she was defeated by Magda Linette in the last 16.

Due to her inconsistent start to the season, former WTA ace Andrea Petkovic explained why she thinks Gauff is struggling recently. The German feels Gauff tried to improve various aspects of her game, but old habits die hard, which is why she’s reverting to old mistakes.

This is my hot take. I think what happened when she hired the new coach, Matt Daly, he changed her grip on the serve a bit. My theory is, when you change a grip, with time, if you don’t remember it all the time, it goes back to the old grip…if you’re not constantly being warned, hey, think about the new grip, think about the new grip.

Andrea Petkovic said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast

She is struggling even against the lower-ranked players. In her match against Moyuka Uchijima in her first match of Indian Wells, Gauff committed 21 double faults throughout the match.

Rennae Stubbs thinks Coco Gauff has a chance to win the French Open

Coco Gauff is a 2022 French Open finalist. She lost to four-time French Open winner Iga Swiatek in straight sets. Then in doubles at Roland Garros, Gauff, along with Katerina Siniakova, triumphed over Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini to claim the title in 2024. Rennae Stubbs, while analyzing Gauff’s game, called her one of the favorites at the French Open.

Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (Image via Coco Gauff’s X account)

We love Coco and we talk about her all the time. I am sure on clay she can get away with it a little more. She doesn’t need to go for the big bomb on the first serve because her ability on the baseline is so good. Clay, for me, I think if she is going to win another Grand Slam it would be on clay or obviously on a hard court again but we always pull for her.

Rennae Stubbs said at The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast

Gauff is 13/5 on the season and last won a singles title at the 2024 WTA Finals. The World No.3 will have to find ways to win titles as she sits in the 11th position with 1190 points in the race to the WTA Finals. Only the top eight players will be flying to Riyadh.

The 2023 US Open champion is gearing up for the clay swing

Coco Gauff will be hoping to get back to winning ways at the Stuttgart Open, which starts on April 17. She didn’t have a decent campaign last year as she fell to Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinal.

Coco Gauff 1
Coco Gauff (Image via X/The Tennis Podcast)

Gauff, however, progressed to two finals at the Madrid Open and the French Open, losing to eventual winner Iga Swiatek both times. The American has so far won 10 singles titles out of which one she lifted on clay at the Emilia-Romagna Open in 2021.