Coco Gauff battled through adversity against world No. 70 Hailey Baptiste in her last match, rallying from a set down despite four double faults and persistent serving troubles. It was a gritty, imperfect display, six double faults and 22 unforced errors, but as her quarterfinal push gathered momentum, Chris Evert stepped in to defend the young star amid mounting service criticism at the Australian Open.

During Coco Gauff’s fourth-round match against Karolína Muchová, Chris Evert shared her direct view on the ongoing focus around Coco’s serve. 

“I’m getting tired of hearing it. I think we need to celebrate the best parts of her game instead of just the serve,” Evert said on commentary.

To be fair, Coco Gauff has made a strong start to her Australian Open campaign. The American has shown resilience and control in the early rounds, even when her serve has not been at its best.

Gauff has yet to be eliminated despite facing challenges. She won comfortably against Kamilla Rakhimova and Olga Danilovic. She dropped a set against Hailey Baptiste and again against Karolína Muchová today.

Against Muchová, Gauff sealed the match 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. While she advanced, her serve again drew attention. Double faults and inconsistency continued to appear at key moments.

She has worked to improve it, but issues remain. In her match against Rakhimova, she still hit seven double faults despite winning in straight sets.

After that match, Gauff addressed the concern in her press conference. She was quick to explain the situation. “Yeah, I mean, it was just the first set,” said Gauff.

She pointed out a key improvement later in the match. “Only had one double in the second. I think both of us were struggling on the far side. The sun is right there, which I know for every time I play first on day here, that’s just how it is.”

The pattern continued in later rounds. Gauff hit four double faults against Danilovic. She followed that with three double faults against Muchová.

Her serving struggles are not new. At last year’s US Open, Gauff admitted working on her serve during matches was difficult. She made 10 double faults against Alja Tomljanovic but still won in three sets.

After that match, she spoke honestly. “Mentally it’s exhausting, but I’m trying,” Gauff said. 

Now, with Chris Evert backing her, Gauff has reached the Australian Open quarterfinals, and her push for the title continues.

Rick Macci notices changes in Coco Gauff’s serve at the Australian Open

Coco Gauff has struggled with her serve over the past year. To address the issue, she made a change in her coaching team last season.

Before the 2025 US Open, Gauff parted ways with Matt Daly. She brought in biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan, who had previously worked with Aryna Sabalenka.

And at the AO this year, after her win against Olga Danilovic, Gauff recorded an impressive first serve win percentage of 84%. Her progress did not go unnoticed.

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Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, analyzed her performance on X, formerly Twitter. He said: “Coco’s serve is bigger because she is pulling the trigger. The technical modifications have been rewired, and many double faults have expired. Fasten [your] seat belt as her game has more glue, and she is the fastest in the shoe.”

Gauff herself reflected on her serve improvements as well. “I want my serve to be a real weapon and it is in some moments, but being a weapon more consistently is what I want,” she said, before her campaign at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open last year.

Coco will now play her Australian Open quarterfinal match at Rod Laver Arena on January 27. She will be eager to reach the semifinals after falling short last year, losing to Paola Badosa in straight sets.

With serving challenges still lingering, questions remain. Can the American top seed turn her improved serve into a consistent weapon and make a deep run to the semifinals this year?