Serena Williams’ ex-coach delivers harsh verdict on Coco Gauff’s season: ‘It might get worse’

The 2025 season has been a struggle for Coco Gauff, and Rick Macci, Serena Williams’ former coach, believes he knows why. As the American star continues to falter on the WTA Tour, Macci hasn’t held back with his thoughts on the 21-year-old’s form, particularly when it comes to her serve and forehand.

Gauff’s drop in form has been visible since the start of the season, and Macci pointed directly to technical issues. “Might get worse before better unless a science based approach is used to rewire,” he wrote, referencing her forehand. Macci’s comments, posted on X in early March, were part of a longer post where he offered both critique and optimism.

“Coco has untapped potential and can get to number one and most of all stay there,” he added. “If second serve becomes an asset and forehand become her best shot, her first serve SOMEDAY can hit 130 mph as she continues to tweak. Make up speed is as good as the sport has ever seen.”

Gauff, working with her long-time coach Jean-Christophe Faurel and new hire Matt Daly, has been tweaking her grip on the serve and changing her technique on the forehand, looking for it to be more aggressive. However, that’s a change that is rarely attempted by professional players, as it is a risky move.

Coco Gauff has been tweaking her serve since late 2024 (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

However, Gauff had good results when she started to serve with a different grip, closer to the continental grip. “Even if it’s uncomfortable, trying to focus on that long-term path, making sure that I’m making adjustments that I need to hopefully have a good career long-term,” she told the press ahead of the Australian Open.

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Gauff’s season so far

Gauff’s early 2025 campaign began with promise as she helped Team USA win the United Cup in January. But since then, she’s failed to gain momentum. A quarter-final exit to Paula Badosa at the Australian Open was followed by disappointing losses to Marta Kostyuk in Doha and McCartney Kessler in Dubai.

Her home swing in the U.S. did little to stop the slide. She was upset by Belinda Bencic at Indian Wells, then fell to Magda Linette in Miami. Gauff has since dropped to world No.4 and is no longer the top-ranked American player, with Jessica Pegula overtaking her.

Despite the setbacks, Gauff has remained calm under pressure. When asked about her form at Indian Wells, she responded, “Everyone makes a bigger deal than what it is. I’ll lose more matches back to back. It’s going to happen.“

Now, Gauff is expected to play in the WTA 500 in Stuttgart, where she will start the European clay season. She is set to open against either Tatjana Maria or Danielle Collins in the second round.