No. 2-ranked Coco Gauff’s Cincinnati Open run ended on Friday night. An extremely off night disrupted her rhythm, leading to a smashed racket and a disappointing loss against world No. 9 Jasmine Paolini that saw all too familiar issues.
Gauff, who won the tournament in 2023, made an early exit this time due to a series of fundamental errors. The American star fell (6-2), (4-6), (3-6) to Jasmine Paolini, who survived a mid-match fall herself that required icing on the sidelines, much different from the “ice sausage” she referred to earlier in the tournament. She recovered in a quarterfinal full of tense swings to cruise to her semifinal matchup against Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday.
The 21-year-old American tennis star committed 16 double faults and 62 unforced errors during the match. Her night unraveled in the third set when she handed over her serve in the opening game after committing three double faults.
Gauff’s frustration spilled over as she waved her arms in disbelief, then slammed her racket to the ground before heading back to the baseline. It was Gauff’s third loss in a row this year to Paolini, who defeated her opponent in two sets in Rome and during the quarterfinals at Stuttgart.
During the Rome match, Andy Roddick and Jim Courier both criticized Gauff’s forehand mechanics and unforced errors, noting she had 55 errors compared to Paolini’s 20. Roddick analyzed Paolini’s game plan as pressuring Gauff’s forehead, which dictated the pace of the entire match.
“Coco didn’t get a lot of those rallies backhand to backhand, which she would have preferred, that wasn’t an accident by Jasmine Paolini,” Roddick said at the time. “I thought she played a great match, execution wise, and I thought it was a strategic match as well.”
Former Australian tennis player Rennae Stubbs also criticized Gauff’s serve technique after the American unexpectedly was eliminated during the round of 16 at the Miami Open in a match in which she committed 12 double faults against Magda Linette.“Her grip is wrong,” Stubbs analyzed.
“I think her elbow gets super low and so close to her body. The left arm jumps down. There are so many little technical things that will be a problem for her going forward forever.”
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The racket cracked against the hardcourt after Gauff observed a change in her serve returns. Inspired by studying Novak Djokovic following her victory over Caroline Dolehide in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open, she eventually reached the semifinals but was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka. She noted that shortening and simplifying her swing made a significant difference.
Rick Macci, the former coach of Serena Williams, offered to intervene and assist with her issues during the Canadian Open. During that tournament, she served 23 double faults in a single match against Danielle Collins, the fifth-highest total in WTA history for such errors.
Despite her serve struggles and unconventional ball-striking style, Gauff stays among the top tennis players. She is currently ranked No. 2 worldwide and claimed her second Grand Slam victory at the 2025 French Open by beating Sabalenka in the final. Like Stubbs, Macci argues that although she has achieved success, her potential will remain restricted unless she improves her serve.
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