(Video) Coco Gauff Directs Double Fault Frustrations to her Camp During Titanic Dubai Open Encounter Against Elina Svitolina

Coco Gauff racked up 55 double faults across her ten matches before the Dubai Tennis Championships.

(Video) Coco Gauff Directs Double Fault Frustrations to her Camp During Titanic Dubai Open Encounter Against Elina Svitolina

Coco Gauff vented it out (via X/The Tennis Letter)

In Short
  • Coco Gauff expressed frustration with her serve during her semifinal loss to Elina Svitolina at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
  • She has struggled with double faults, accumulating 55 across ten matches before Dubai, including 12 in the semifinal.
  • Gauff's recent coaching change to biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan has not yet resolved her serving issues.

Coco Gauff, the reigning French Open champion, is still struggling with her serve, which has been an issue for nearly a year. The American star was seen telling her coach, Gavin MacMillan, that she had done all that he asked of her for the past six months during her disappointing defeat to Elina Svitolina in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Gauff made a coaching overhaul days before the 2025 US Open in an effort to fix her double-fault problems. The 21-year-old had come under intense media scrutiny during the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, where she hit more than 40 double faults and unforced errors, preventing her from reaching any of the tournament finals.

She hired the acclaimed biomechanics expert and serve fixer Gavin MacMillan, who had helped Aryna Sabalenka overcome her serving problems a few years ago. However, since hiring the new coach, Gauff’s serve has become largely inconsistent. Despite her athleticism and talent, rivals seem to take advantage of her double faults.

On Friday (February 20), she faced Svitolina in the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, a rematch of the Australian Open quarter-finals, in which she lost her cool and smashed her racket. During their match in Dubai, Gauff first showed signs of frustration when she hit her head with her racket.

A few minutes later, she served a double fault, which forced her to voice her frustration, presumably to Gavin MacMillan. The 21-year-old said she was doing what he told her for the past six months but things seem not to be working:

I’ve been doing everything you’ve wanted for the last 6 months…

Before entering the Dubai Tennis Championships, Gauff had already accumulated 55 double faults across her 10 matches, highlighting her growing concerns about her serve. Against Svitolina on Friday (February 20), she hit 12 double faults, and things seem to be getting worse for her on that issue. She has to solve it before the Sunshine Doubles in March, but will she make a coaching change before that?

MacMillan helped Sabalenka’s serve in 2022, when he joined her team. The Belarusian star was racking up double faults in every match, but he transformed her into one of the best servers on the women’s circuit. Almost four years since partnering with Sabalenka, she has now won four Grand Slams and has reached the final of four of the last five major tournaments.

Coco Gauff’s contrasting performance and statement at the Dubai Tennis Championships

Coco Gauff’s focus on her serving issues has forced her not play frequently in the doubles category. The World No.4 is a good doubles player and won the 2024 French Open doubles title alongside Katerina Siniakova. Since last year, she has not played in the doubles of a Grand Slam tournament and some pundits have suggested that playing more often in that category will reduce her issues with her serve.

Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (via Punto de Break)

At the Dubai Tennis Championships, Gauff had to come from a set down to beat Elise Mertens in three sets and was just points away from losing the second set before fighting back. After the match, she reflected on the challenges with her serves in measured perspective, claiming her serve was better. Still, it was a complete contrast to her outburst against Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals:

I’m trying to figure out the recipe… It’s a learning process. I think my serve is improving. I feel more comfortable going after it. The doubles are definitely less this year.

Gauff was leading Svitolina 2-1 in their head-to-head record, but after their two meetings on tour this season, the latter now holds a 3-2 lead. The Ukrainian defeated Gauff 6-4, 7-6(13), 6-4 after over three hours on the court. It is the first time in eight years that she will play in a WTA 1000 event on tour.

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