Coco Gauff has had a meteoric rise to the ranks since her pro debut at 15 at Wimbledon. She became a Grand Slam champion before turning 21. Yet, as she heads into the 2026 Australian Open, former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash issued a stern warning about Gauff's serve and coaching decisions

Gauff has always struggled with her service shots and forehand, often making more double faults than she would like. Though undeniably talented with great form, experts and fans discount her title chances based on this flaw. And former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash recently echoed them.

Speaking to Tennis365, Cash talked about Gauff’s decision to hire biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan. She got him in last year before the U. S Open. While MacMillan helped Aryna Sabalenka fix her serve, Cash fears Gauff may not fully commit to the process.

“Gauff’s serve could have been a five-minute fixing job, but she has taken her years to sort it out,” Cash said. Talking from his own experience, he added, “I worked alongside Gavin MacMillan as we found a solution to Brandon Nakashima’s serve, and now he has gone on to become this serving guru.”

As per Tennis Abstract, Gauff’s double‑fault rate was the worst of all top 50 players in 2025 at 9.9. She also has a 43% second serve percent, ranking 179th on the WTA Tour despite being a Grand Slam winner.

But Fixing the Service Shot Isn’t the Only Problem

Additionally, Gauff has changed multiple coaches, including Faurel, Gilbert, Daly, and now MacMillan.

Cash stressed the long-term trust between player and coach is crucial. He added that athletes “shoot themselves in the foot by not following through with what they are doing or taking good advice.”

"Sticking with a coach works… by and large. It doesn’t work when they don’t," Cash added.

The Australian Open starts on January 18th, and Gauff is a highly ranked contender at No. 4. Although she has never won a slam here, she recently beat Pole Iga Swiatek in straight sets at the United Cup.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi