Monday, 02 September 2024 / Published in Coco Gauff, Serving, US Open

Let’s Talk About Coco Gauff’s Serve

This wouldn’t be such a big deal if these match statistics weren’t focused on the defending champion, who also happens to be the third-best player in the world.

Let’s have a fair-dinkum (Aussie for serious) chat about Coco Gauff’s 2024 US Open tournament.

Gauff lost 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the fourth round last night to Emma Navarro. Navarro also defeated Gauff 6-4, 6-3 on Centre Court at Wimbledon this year. Navarro deserves a lot of credit for the win. But Gauff’s serve (and forehand) deserve a lot of scrutiny after the loss.

Here’s Gauff’s 2024 US Open.

Rd 1 def. Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-0
Rd 2 def. Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-0
Rd 3 def. Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Rd 4 lost to Emma Navarro 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

The first thing to do is break down Gauff’s serve statistics from her four matches at Flushing Meadow this year.

GAUFF’S SERVE

Gauff only made 51% of her first serves in her four matches. The tournament average is 59%. She is already well behind the eight-ball.

Gauff served 38 double faults in 42 service games. That’s not far off an average of one a game. Jaw-dropping from a player of her caliber.

RD 1 def. V. Gracheva 6-2, 6-0

Service Games = 7
Double Faults = 6
Average 1st Serve Speed = 106 mph
Average 2nd Serve Speed = 80 mph

RD 2 def. T, Maria 6-4, 6-0

Service Games = 8
Double Faults = 9
Average 1st Serve Speed = 104 mph
Average 2nd Serve Speed =83 mph

RD 3 def E. Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Service Games = 13
Double Faults = 4
Average 1st Serve Speed = 108 mph
Average 2nd Serve Speed = 84 mph

Rd 4 lost to E. Navarro 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

Service Games 14
Double Faults = 19
Average 1st Serve Speed = 112 mph
Average 2nd Serve Speed = 88 mph

Gauff’s second serve behaved itself against Svitolina. But not against Gracheva and Maria and certainly not against Navarro.

But there is another story here…

Look at the serve speeds.

The average first serve speeds in Gauff’s first three matches were 104 mph, 106 mph and 108 mph.

If you are starting to hit A LOT of double faults, the correct thing to do is reduce first serve speed and get the stinking thing in. Gauff did the opposite. Against Navarro, her average 1st serve speed was 112 mph, which was the fastest for her for the tournament. It doesn’t make sense to go bigger when the second serve is not performing. You want to protect the 2nd serve by getting lots of first serves in. Gauff only made 46% first serves vs. Navarro.

Secondly, Gauff should reduce her second serve speed as well. She did the opposite. In the first three rounds her average 2nd serve speed was 80 mph, 83 mph, and 84 mph. Against Navarro, it was 88 mph. Gauff was going the complete wrong way with her first and second serve speed.

Gauff’s first double fault of the match against Navarro was her very first point on serve at 0-1 in the first set. Her first serve was 117 mph, and her second serve was 91 mph. Both went long. Both were much faster than her average serve speeds. Too big. Too soon.

Gauff double faulted again at 30-30. Her first serve in the net was 124 mph, and her 2nd serve was 85 mph. There was so much pressure on her to serve only five points into the match.

A third double fault came in the opening game on the third deuce. A 125 mph first serve missed the mark, and a 92 mph second serve went long. Both serves were too hot for a player struggling to find the court.

With Gauff serving at 2-3, 15-30 in the opening set, Gauff double-faulted twice in a row to break herself. Her two second serves were at 89 mph and 99 mph. Neither was a threat to find the service box.

With Gauff serving at 3-5 in the third set, trying to stay alive in the match, Gauff double-faulted three times in the game. Her second serve speed was 73 mph, 76 mph and 82 mph.

It was tough. It was rough. And it’s head-turning that it happened on the biggest stage.

Gauff’s forehand has been her primary problem in recent times. It also misbehaved at the US Open this year.

Gauff’s Groundstrokes

Forehand

Winners = 35
Errors = 95
Total = -60

Backhand

Winners = 22
Errors = 72
Total = -40

The two biggest shots in today’s game are the serve and the forehand. Gauff must have felt helpless on the court, not being able to control either of these critical shots.

Gauff needs to work on her serve and forehand fundamentals. Her height of contact is often way too low on her serve. Her backswing is often way too big on her forehand.

Gauff is a generational talent currently going through the valley of darkness with her game.

It’s time to go back to fundamentals and build these two shots again from the ground up.

The sun will always rise.

The practice court is clearly broken. Here’s the proof.

Points are "front loaded". By far the majority of the action, and the winning, takes place in THE FIRST 4 SHOTS. The practice court is full of long rallies. Matches are dominated by short rallies. There is a massive disconnect occurring.

We spend too much time grinding, banging balls up and down the middle of the court – that have no real benefit to winning tennis matches.

There are 3 specific rally lengths in tennis. Here is their percentage breakdown of total points.

0-4 Shots = 70%
5-8 Shots = 20%
9+ Shots = 10%

The First 4 Shots is specifically the serve, return, Serve +1 groundstroke and Return +1 groundstroke. Those are normally the shots that get practiced the least, but matter the most to winning tennis matches.

The net is an extremely high percentage place to be!

If you love playing tennis for fun, spend as much time at the baseline as you like. But if you compete – if the score matters – then you must turn your attention to the net to maximize your potential.

The “herd mentality” in tennis thinks it’s too tough to approach the net in today’s game. The conversation starts with improved string technology, more powerful rackets, and finishes with stronger, faster athletes. The herd think approaching is a relic of the past. The herd is WRONG!

AVERAGE WIN %
Baseline = 46%
Net = 66%

Data from ALL Grand Slams provides the facts about approach and volley, and the data is crystal clear – it’s immensely better than staying back at the baseline, grinding for a living.

The baseline is a tough place to create separation. Here's how to do it.

At the 2012 US Open, only 7 men and 14 women had a winning percentage from the baseline. At Wimbledon 2016, Andy Murray won the title only winning 52% of his baseline points - and he is one of the very best at it in the world!

Num3ers deeply explores the data that rules points, especially from the back of the court. Take a "deep dive" into all three rally lengths (0-4, 5-8, 9+), and winner and errors totals from the elite level of our game. The numbers will shock you!

All 4 Grand Slams

Forcing Errors = 41% Men / 37% Women
Winners = 32% Men / 29% Women
Unforced Errors = 27% Men / 34% Women

Num3ers is very much like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. It's about bringing together different data sets together to create the big picture.

Every recorded match from the 2015 Australian Open - Rd2 to the final.

There is a lot happening on a doubles court. Situations and strategies are constantly being adjusted to create mis-matches with court position. It's hard to keep track of - until now. Dou8les Num3ers is the most comprehensive analysis of doubles data in our sport. The focus is on how a point ends, and it's broken down eight ways to Sunday. Specifically, you find critical information on:

Winners rise to the #1 way a point ends (over forced & unforced errors)

- The last shot of the rally is overwhelmingly struck at the net.
- Center Window: the most important part of a doubles court to control.
- Stephen Huss: an in-depth interview on Wimbledon's Centre Court with the 2005 Wimbledon Doubles Champion.

Dou8les Num3ers leaves no stone unturned. Percentage breakdowns of how often the server or receiver hits the last shot highlight the dramatic influence of the serve. The last shot of the rally is significant, and is broken down into the following categories: volleys, overheads, passing shots, lobs and groundstrokes.

When you play a match, you actually play two matches.

When you walk out onto a tennis court, there are two matches that you are about to play. The first is during the point - a part of the match that you have spent a lot of time preparing for on the practice court. But there is a second match, that takes place in the 20 seconds between the points. This is where the mental and emotional aspects of our sport kick in.

Let's face it, there will be adversity in almost every tennis match that you play. The storm clouds are coming. How bug they are, and how long they last for, are up to you.

Between the points is very tennis specific. It provides a roadmap for the 20 seconds between the points, teaching how to handle the adversity that will surely come, and how to build on the successes that will also be present. Your mind is your biggest asset in a match, and Between the Points takes your hand off the self destruct button and stops you beating yourself.

You don't have to be good at everything, but you have got to be good at something.

You can break tennis down into four key elements - serving, returning, rallying and approaching. Each part has specific patterns of play that consistently deliver higher winning percentages than the others. No more guessing. No more opinions. All facets of our sport are covered in this exceptional product, clearly outlining what patterns to gravitate to, and how to best construct the practice court. Data comes primarily from the 2015 Australian Open.

Building Blocks

MEN = 70% errors / 30% winners
WOMEN = 74% errors / 26% winners

Forcing errors is the best way to construct a point.
You can simply break tennis down into primary and secondary patterns of play - and they are all covered here. Primary patterns include serve and return direction, forehands v backhands, and the best way to approach the net. Secondary patterns include drop shots, serve & volley and 1st volley options. If you play tournaments, this product will greatly help you simplify the singles court.

The conversation starts & ends with the Center Window.

The doubles court is like an hourglass. There are two big ends, but a small neck in the middle where all the action happens. Once you learn the power of the Center Window, where you stand to start the point will take on a lot more significance.

Doubles is a lot more about situations, with four people on the court all "dancing" with one another. Learn all the best doubles patterns, broken down for the server, returner, server's partner and the returner's partner.

Doubles Situations

The "J" - the most ideal movement for the returner's partner to attack the net.

The "V" - a better way of understanding where the server's partner should move to.

Volley Targets - there are four main areas to attack. Know which ones are higher percentage. Beach Volleyball - the idea of a "setter" and "spiker" is ideal for the doubles court.

There are certain parts of the court that the ball travels to a lot, and other low percentage areas that you really don't want to cover at all - like the alley! In general, the serving team wants to keep the ball in the middle of the court as much as possible (to help the server's partner), while the returning team benefits from hitting wider and creating more chaos in the point.

SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

Let’s Talk About Coco Gauff’s Serve