Coco Gauff has taken some time away from the spotlight to prepare for the final tournament of the year: the WTA Finals.
The American, ranked third in the world, has not competed on the WTA Tour since winning the Wuhan Open title 10 days ago.
Gauff’s impressive triumph in Wuhan demonstrated progress made by the 21-year-old after a period of inconsistent form throughout the American hard-court swing.
However, since hiring biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan, Gauff has shown clear signs of a return to form: most noticeably in Wuhan, where she defeated Jasmine Paolini and Jessica Pegula in the final two rounds.
MacMillan, who has previously worked with Aryna Sabalenka during her period of serving struggles, discussed Gauff’s forehand during a recent interview.
Gavin MacMillan says ‘everybody’ has made an issue of Coco Gauff’s grip on her forehand
“We are definitely working on her [Gauff’s] forehand,” MacMillan said in an interview on the Tennis Channel.
“To me, this last tournament her forehand held up really well, especially in the final, she was up 4-1 in the first and started struggling and making errors.
“Then, with her grip, everybody has made such an issue of that, but plenty of great players play with a super western grip.
“It’s making sure that she keeps her weight back and understands to play with shape. When she is off her back foot like that and keeping the shot heavy, and deep with spin.
“This sport is won and lost by high percentage shots that you can hit at 85% of your power in key moments. In the men now it has gotten ridiculous.
“The level of play, especially the top two, the skill that these guys have in terms of being able to consistently keep putting that type of pressure on you, the margins are very small.
“The goal is overall improvement, and if you are not doing that, the people coming up in the sport are going to catch you. It’s just a function of time.”
Gauff will hope to continue her good form in Riyadh. The American will enter the tournament defending 1,500 points after her victory at the tournament in 2024.
In last year’s tournament, Gauff defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-final, before securing a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 victory against China’s Qinwen Zheng in the final.
Will Coco Gauff repeat her WTA Finals heroics?
Gauff’s form during the North American hard-court swing certainly did increase confidence regarding her 2025 WTA Finals chances.
The American was struggling with her serve and losing earlier than expected in tournaments, most notably to eventual Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko.
However, Gauff appears to have found her footing once again, and few would bet against her lifting the trophy in Saudi Arabia once again.
Gauff has a tendency to perform at her best when the lights are at their brightest, and if she can maintain her Wuhan Open form, she will most certainly be a factor in the latter stages of Riyadh.
