Not many players ignore the advice coming from an 18-time Major champion, but Coco Gauff is not shy in doing so. However, when the advice paid off for the World No.4 at Wimbledon, she disclosed the discussions she had with Chris Evert, which prompted her to make tactical adjustments to her game.
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“I didn’t realise how good I was at it until Wimbledon. Everyone has been telling me to come to the net more. Actually, Chris Evert has been texting me sometimes to come to the net more,” said Gauff while talking to the press after her win over Marta Kostyuk at the Cincinnati Open. “And I tell her, yeah, I’m going to, and then I just don’t. I finally did at Wimbledon, and I won so many points that way. And obviously here, there’s just a big difference when you’re able to finish the point at the net.”
Gauff is known for her gritty game style filled with baseline rallies, brilliant court coverage, and having a strong mindset in long three-set matches. Rather than attacking her opponent first, the American has developed her game in such a way that sees her wait for her opponent’s mistakes by making them play one more shot, and then win the point with her counterpunching style.
However, going into Wimbledon, Gauff was determined to make a deep run at the grass-court Major and seemed to incorporate aspects of traditional grass-court-style tennis into her game. The American came to the net during the tournament, giving her style a completely different look, and reached her maiden SW19 semifinal.
Given the fact that she is a Major doubles champion, Gauff has what it takes to excel at the net. It is just about having the mindset of doing so. In her high-stakes semifinal against Karolina Muchova at Wimbledon, Gauff came to the net 45 times, winning 32 of the approach points. However, she also missed a relatively easy shot at the net on match point in the third-set tiebreak.
Gauff is not the only player in recent times to have made adjustments to her game. Even World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has added variety to her game, with the Belarusian using a lot of drop shots along with her powerful baseline game, which saw her reach the final of the French Open last year.
Gauff has kept her attacking style on the hard courts as well, with the American reaching the semifinals in Toronto and the final in Cincinnati. Ahead of the US Open, she hopes to win her first title of the season against compatriot Jessica Pegula.
Coco Gauff to Face Jessica Pegula in the Cincinnati Final
Gauff will face Pegula in the final of the Cincinnati Open, with the fourth seed having beaten Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinal. She also secured a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals, and had wins over the likes of Liudmila Samsonova and Marie Bouzkova in the earlier rounds.
Pegula, on the other hand, had to battle past Iga Swiatek in the semifinal, where the American beat the defending champion 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Earlier in the event, she had beaten the likes of Emma Navarro, Sorana Cirstea, and Amanda Anisimova.
The head-to-head between the two is close, with Pegula having a small 5-4 lead. However, it was Gauff who won the last match at Wimbledon in a three-set battle. Even in that match, Gauff came to the net 24 times, winning 15 approach points. The main issue that stopped Gauff from coming to the net was her serve, as she often made double-digit double faults in her matches last year.
However, the World No.4 seems to have fixed her issue, with her making only around four double faults on average at the Cincinnati Open. Gauff’s fans will be encouraged by her form at the warm-up events before the US Open. Back in 2023, when Gauff won the title in New York, she had already won the titles in Washington and Cincinnati. In the lead-up to her French Open title last year, she reached the finals in Madrid and Rome.
Gauff has yet to win a title this year, having lost the finals in Miami and Rome. A title just a week before the US Open will give her all the confidence she needs to clinch a third Major title.