Famous for having mentored 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, Rick Macci has delivered his latest forecast on another fellow American. The Hall of Fame coach has weighed in on the technical adjustments Coco Gauff has made to her game. The 20-year-old ended her 2024 season on a high, clinching the WTA Finals singles title and maintaining her year-end ranking at No.3. But this was an unexpectedly strong finish after her dismal performance in the US swing. What was Gauff’s Achilles’ heel throughout the season?

At the season-opening Australian Open, Gauff’s service began to spiral in her semi-final encounter against Aryna Sabalenka, where she committed 6 double faults in the first set and eventually lost in straight sets by 7-6, 6-4. Fast forward to the US Open and nothing much had changed. Continuous double faults – 38 in 42 service games – and a 51% first serve rate as compared to the tournament average of 58% meant she was always going to struggle to dig deep.

Her second serves started to give away after she exhausted herself with multiple 100+ mph first serves, leading her to double fault her way to a crushing loss against Emma Navarro. By her own admission, she was lacking, desperately. In the post-defeat press conference, Coco admitted: “I just didn’t take care of my serve, so that was the biggest difference… Too many free points on my serve.” And Rick Macci made sure to send some critical remarks her way.

The famed coach pointed out the glaring issue with Coco’s biomechanics: it was disconnected. Her inability to load her body properly, putting her weight behind the right hip instead of the right groin, had hamstrung her title runs. She had neither power nor accuracy. Plus, her height of contact was more often than not way too low on her serve. Adding to her woes was her faltering forehand too, which let her down at crucial moments – criticism was levelled at her for a backswing that was too big for the shot. But Macci had some suggestions in store as well, with his tweet recommending an easy fix with “minor reconstruction surgery based on scientific principles“.

Despite all that, one trait stuck with him: Coco’s grit. Hailing her fortitude in the match even after a whopping 19 double faults against Emma Navarro, Macci refused to squarely rest the blame on her and instead hoped that she would work on tweaking her technique. And what followed was nothing short of remarkable. Coco Gauff delivered a resounding victory against the second seed Iga Swiatek at the WTA Finals. The 6-3, 6-4 flourish amazed Macci and since then he has been all praise and hope for her.

In his latest iteration, the Williams sisters’ former coach posted on X if the changes made to Gauff’s serve and forehand were indeed the right ones, she could soar to new highs. Highlighting the critical importance of practice in executing these changes effectively, he wrote, “We will see right away if there has been a major technical change in the serve and forehand. If they are the correct adjustments and the Muscle memory has been 100% extracted, Coco with that foot speed and burning rage will enter a new age, write a new page.”

A few days earlier, Rick Macci had expressed similar sentiments. Looking forward to the Melbourne Major, he posted on X, “The Australian Open on the WTA side is a jump ball. So many players ready to go to the Next Level mentally and Down Under will give us a snapshot who will Up Over. @CocoGauff.” In the span of a few months, Gauff managed to turn one of her biggest critics into a hopeful fan. But before the first Grand Slam of 2025, Coco has a solid chance to test-drive her new moves.

Coco Gauff’s upcoming prospects: The United Cup

Bad habits are hard to change.  And attempts to change are often met with inconsistencies. Coco Gauff admitted the same in a humble chat last month, as she discussed how tough it was to change something that she had practiced for years. “Yeah, obviously it’s difficult. You do something you know one way for your whole life basically. Actually, I wouldn’t say my whole life. I definitely think I migrated as time went on. But it was for a long time. You kind of have to correct it, and you’re playing matches. Everything just feels fresh and new. It is difficult, but you got to think of the long-term and the long run,” she said in November.

Having made the required change for enduring success, Gauff has now hinted at her immense hunger for redemption at the United Cup –  after her heartbreaking run at the Olympics. Increased aggression, a better serve and a more devious backhand are what fans might expect from Gauff at the year-transitioning tournament, which will take place in Sydney between 27 December 2024 and 5 January 2025. But as the World No. 3 looks to move deep into the final stages, a lot shall hang in the balance.

Will she struggle to adapt her natural game to her new movements? Or will she emerge victorious and prove the naysayers wrong? Perhaps she will find the fire under her feet for the United Cup, as she looks to wash off the troubles from last year. Stay tuned for more updates as we track whether her technical tweaks translate into performances.