Coco Gauff weathered a rough North American hard-court swing, sparking calls for her to take a break and rebuild her serve before 2025. But outside noise won’t sway the two-time Grand Slam champion. Instead, she is set to “learn on the job” and charge into the Asian swing with her trademark grit. With her serve still a lingering concern, Gauff now faces the daunting task of defending a heavy load of ranking points in a crucial stretch of her season.

Recently, Turn On Tennis shared a striking stat from Team ER on X, underlining the size of Gauff’s task. The post read: “Coco Gauff tops the list with the most points to defend for the rest of the 2025 season. Right behind her is Qinwen Zheng, who also carries a heavy load of points. In contrast, Iga Swiatek has only 400 points to defend, giving her much more breathing room. This difference could play a key role in shaping the year-end rankings.”

Indeed, World No. 3 Gauff carries the heaviest load into this stretch. She has 1,000 champion points from her China Open triumph last year, another 390 from her Wuhan semi-final run, and a massive 1,300 points from her WTA Finals victory. Any slip could open the door for rivals like Zheng or Elena Rybakina to overtake her in the standings.

On the other side, Iga Swiatek enjoys a much lighter schedule in terms of pressure. Having missed a big chunk of last year’s swing due to a provisional doping suspension, the Pole has just 400 points to defend and could choose to add events like the Japan Open or Pan Pacific Open to pad her total.

In addition, following her loss in Cincinnati, Coco Gauff made a decisive call, parting ways with coach Matt Daly, the man who had guided her to two of her biggest titles. It was a bold move, but one that showed the 21-year-old’s commitment to evolving her game. 

In Daly’s place, Gauff enlisted biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan to rebuild her serve from the ground up. It was a long-term project, not a quick fix, as former doubles World No. 1 Rennae Stubbs pointed out on the CYA Podcast: “Coco’s not comfortable. She’s fighting demons. She’s fighting her serve. She’s fighting her forehand. Gavin’s come in to try and do his best to kind of correct some of the stuff, but that’s impossible to do in a week.”

Those words rang true under the bright lights of the US Open. Gauff’s campaign in New York started shakily as she was dragged into a three-set battle by Ajla Tomljanovic in her opener. 

The warning signs were there, and they turned into alarm bells in the fourth round. There, Naomi Osaka tore through the match from start to finish, punishing Gauff’s vulnerable serve. The numbers painted a painful picture: five double faults and just 52% of first-serve points won, compared to Osaka’s staggering 94%.

Despite the pressure, the American has her eyes fixed firmly on Riyadh. With Sabalenka and Swiatek already qualified for the WTA Finals, the American is on the cusp of booking her spot. Her mind is set on the road ahead, a road that runs straight through Asia. This is her proving ground, her chance to turn heartbreak into fuel for a late-season surge.

Coco Gauff shares post-US Open plans for 2025

After her defeat to Naomi Osaka, 6-3, 6-2, Coco Gauff’s disappointing North American hard-court swing officially ended without a single semifinal appearance. Many observers urged the World No. 3 to step away from competition, reset, and return stronger. But the American made it clear in her press conference that there is no pause button with the Asian swing fast approaching.

With her Grand Slam season now behind her, the 21-year-old revealed that she plans to tap into the same mindset that fueled her success last year. “I have no choice but to do a training block between now and Beijing, it’s just the next tournament that I am signed up for,” she said.

Her words carried a sense of focus and resilience, as she explained, “I have said this every year, after the US Open for me it’s just improvement mode and to get ready for Australia.”

Gauff also reflected on what made 2024’s post-US Open run so successful, saying, “I had good results last year after the US Open and I think that’s because – I don’t want to say didn’t care because those tournaments deserve effort – but it’s just your mindset is different once the Slams are over.”

“So whatever happens for the rest of the year, I just want it to be improvement. I don’t care results wise,” she added, putting the emphasis on growth over trophies.

Her next challenge arrives at the WTA 1000 Beijing Open beginning September 24, where fans will watch closely to see if Gauff’s sharpened mentality can fuel a late-season resurgence.