MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 26 (UPI) — Violent violet racket swipes and whistling sneaker squeaks sang in operatic harmony for thousands of fans trained on Coco Gauff this week at the Miami Open.
Fans continue to enjoy her best run at the tournament, with Tuesday’s quarterfinal win as her latest exploit in Miami Gardens, Fla. But there is much more to her surge than pure talent, and her behind-the-scenes overhaul is far from finished.
The American continues to obsess with how she tosses the tennis ball, where she winds back her racket and how she lands as she tinkers with a refurbished serve — while also wondering if she is the same player who won two Grand Slams.
But those who followed her galactic rise from a child prodigy in Delray Beach, Fla., to one of the sport’s biggest stars are witnesses to a new and improved tennis phenom who was skilled enough to remain near the top of the tennis rankings despite a team makeover and battle with self doubt.
Gauff and her fans are now relishing the renascence.
“I think sometimes I can get imposter syndrome,” Gauff said. “And even when they’re saying my accomplishments when I walk out, or during the warmup, it doesn’t feel like me. I’m like, ‘Oh, actually, I do have a good career.'”
Gauff remains the top American player in the world, with her No. 4 placement in the WTA rankings. With a semifinal win, she would pass Iga Swiatek of Poland for No. 3 and inch closer to No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
The 22-year-old rose to national prominence when she beat former world No. 1 Venus Williams as a 15-year-old at Wimbledon 2019. In between then and now, she stacked up nearly 300 wins, including 11 titles, and more than $30 million in prize money through singles matches.
But she said “it doesn’t feel like that” in the moment, when she’s working on her game and shuffling her team, trying to hone her arsenal.
“It just feels like I shouldn’t be where I am, but tennis doesn’t lie,” Gauff said. “The ball doesn’t lie. So I just have to believe in myself. My coaches have been reminding me, ‘remember who you are,’ and ‘you’re a good player.’
And I think they’ve been putting that into my head. St moments, I believe it and at moments I don’t. So, I’m just trying to believe it more.”
Balance and hiding faults
When Gauff can’t lean on the more technical aspects of her game, she uses her pure athleticism and physical prowess to overwhelm opponents. She said she had confidence she could “outlast” No. 12 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
That fitness and strength, and sizzling speed to get to returns, has enabled Gauff, who many say is the most athletic and fastest player on tour, to climb through the Miami Open despite needing three sets to decide each of her first four matches.
Her restructured team has watched those matches courtside, supplying support and coaching tips, while also just serving as a sounding board at times.
Some players, like Sabalenka, boast larger teams with as many as 10 members, but Gauff prefers a smaller crew. In addition to parents Corey and Candi Gauff, Team Coco includes longtime coach Jean-Christophe Faurel, physiotherapist Maria Vago, hitting partner Johan Tatlot, fitness coach Richard Woodroof and recently hired biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan.
Serve and grip coach Matt Daly, from whom Gauff split in August, and renowned tactical coach Brad Gilbert, are among previous members of her team. Daly coached Gauff when she won her latest Grand Slam singles title at the 2025 French Open. They went their separate ways just days before the 2025 U.S. Open.
Gilbert, who coached her during her first Grand Slam victory at the 2023 U.S. Open, and Gauff split after she failed in her 2024 title defense.
Gauff said she doesn’t “like being around a lot of people” but she ensures she can get along with those she adds to her team.
“I think that’s the main thing, knowing that these people are gonna have to see all sides of you, and hopefully when they see the worst side of you, that they’re OK with it, and when you see the worst side of them, that you’re OK with it,” Gauff said. “It’s almost like a relationship in a way, but without the weird stuff.”
Movement within teams is common in tennis, as players refine mental and physical aspects of their games. Gauff also utilizes data, but prefers not to overcomplicate the game, which she plays on “feel.”
Retooling her serve is a key factor in her quest to find a ceiling. Some say it’s somewhat remarkable she remained a Top-5 player despite struggles with her serve.
Her 21 aces rank 67th among WTA players this season. She ranks 115th in first serve percentage (61.7%) and leads all players in double faults, with 120. She totaled 18 aces and 30 double faults in Miami.
Gauff led the WTA Tour in double faults each of the last two seasons, when she totaled more than 860 and averaged more than six per match. She is on track to exceed that mark this season, with an average of more than 7.5 per match.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka ranks sixth in aces (91) and totaled 30 double faults through her first 19 matches this season. She led the tour in double faults from 2020 through 2022, before MacMillan helped rebuild her serve.
Gauff ranked 19th with a career-high 260 aces, against 219 double faults in 2023. That was the only full season of her career with more aces than double faults.
Rybakina, considered the best server on tour, leads all players with 148 aces over 21 matches. Gauff said she hopes to one day be as consistent as the world No. 2. She’ll most likely need to bridge that gap at least slightly if she hopes to reach the heights of her idol, Serena Williams, whose career aces dwarf her double faults.
Gauff continues to be compared to Williams, but says she plans for a slightly different career trajectory: one without children during her days on the court. Not taking a maternity break from the sport could extend a future run of dominance.
“I definitely wouldn’t want to have kids while playing,” Gauff said. “I’m pretty certain on that. You never know. I mean, Serena, Venus, a bunch of people all said similar things. I just don’t see it for myself.”
Gauff is not just looking at her own future, but hoping to inspire the next generation. She channeled that inspiration into her play when she spotted a little girl in the stands, while weathering Bencic on Tuesday during her quarterfinal.
“I told myself, I just want to try to be the best version I can be, so that they have someone good to look up to,” Gauff said.
Gauff will meet No. 14 Karolina Muchova of Czechia on Thursday for a ticket to the Miami Open finale.
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