Tennis is a tricky sport to predict. Every point counts, and the clock barely matters. You never know when the tables will turn. It’s truly a game of luck and overall skill! Right now, Coco Gauff might need all the luck she can get. After her triumphant battle against World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to win the French Open, many hailed Gauff as the next big thing. But since then, the American sensation hasn’t had much success.

Right now, she just wrapped up her run at the Cincinnati Open with a quarterfinal exit against Jasmine Paolini. On Friday, the Italian showed no mercy as she fired cylinders and served well throughout the match. Although there was a moment in the third set where Paolini rolled her ankle, she still persevered to seal a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory against the World No. 2. But what stood out was Coco’s errors in the match.

Gauff struggled with consistency, racking up 16 double faults—far more than Paolini’s 2—and managing a first serve percentage of just 54%. Gauff also tallied 62 unforced errors compared to Paolini’s 44, with these error totals playing a critical role in her defeat. And this isn’t the first time after her Roland Garros win that the American has shown this level of inconsistency.

A look at Coco Gauff’s errors in recent matches

What began as a disappointing first-round exit in Berlin quickly turned into a similar fate at Wimbledon, crushing her hopes of pulling off the coveted ‘Channel Slam.’ She seemed to pick up some momentum in Montreal, but not without recurring errors stealing the spotlight. Her serve, in particular, stumbled in the opener against Danielle Collins; she smashed 23 double faults and managed just a 53% first serve percentage. The struggles didn’t stop there; against 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, Gauff again faltered with six double faults and 24 unforced errors, painting a picture of inconsistency that’s been tough to shake lately.

But has it always been this rocky? Sadly, her serve troubles have lingered over the past couple of seasons. Last year was especially tough: after winning the ASB Classic early on, she went without a match win until the China Open in September. Ouch! And that’s a rough look for someone who snagged the US Open title just the year before.

Adding fuel to the fire, tennis legend Rennae Stubbs weighed in on Gauff’s serve woes during The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast on August 5. While she gushed about all the great things Coco’s been doing as a rising star, Stubbs couldn’t hold back on the serve critique: “But my God, like her serve, I don’t understand why now she has literally two coaches. Nothing has changed on her serve…like the ball toss is so far ahead of her on the second serve.” Currently, Gauff is coached by Matt Daly and Jean-Christophe Faurel, but the serve chaos remains an open question. Let’s see how she’s done in previous years ahead of the US Open.

Coco Gauff’s Cincinnati Open and US Open run previously

Gauff’s 2024 Cincinnati Open run was a tough pill to swallow. She crashed out in the first round in a grueling three-set battle against Yulia Putintseva, losing 4-6, 6-2, 4-6. The scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story—Gauff was plagued by 50 unforced errors and nine double faults. Her first serve percentage lingered at a shaky 56%. Putintseva, ranked 34th, relentlessly targeted Gauff’s forehand and ultimately outplayed the defending Grand Slam champ. Reflecting on the match, Gauff admitted, “I feel like I have to work on consistency overall.” She planned to regroup before taking on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows.

At the 2024 US Open, sharing the spotlight as the defending champion, Gauff’s journey was a rollercoaster. She powered through the early rounds, sweeping Varvara Gracheva in straight sets with an ace count of 10, managing six double faults, and holding down a solid 64% first serve. Next up was Tatjana Maria, a straight-set victory again but this time with a rough patch with nine double faults and a much weaker 44% first serve.

The matches started getting tighter, with Gauff battling through a three-set thriller against Elina Svitolina. She cut down her double faults to just four and nudged her first serve percentage to 55%, showing some promise despite the pressure.

Unfortunately, the magic didn’t last. Gauff was ousted in the Round of 16 by Emma Navarro, losing in three sets. Her serving troubles flared back up, with a staggering 19 double faults and a first serve percentage dipping to 46%. Overall, 2024 was a mixed bag for Gauff, with moments of brilliance shadowed by glaring inconsistencies, especially on serve. But was it the same in the year before?

Coco’s exemplary run to her first Slam title

Her 2023 Cincinnati Open run was a showcase of power and persistence. In the final, she matched 16 winners with an equal number of unforced errors but broke Karolína Muchová five times to seal the victory. Her double faults stayed low throughout: just one against Mayar Sherif, five versus Linda Nosková, and a steady count in later matches—all with a first serve hovering around the mid-50s.

Her quarterfinal and semifinal wins had their share of challenges, including six double faults against Iga Swiatek, yet she held firm on a 56% first serve rate. In the final, five double faults and a 63% first serve percentage were enough to close the deal. She then rode that momentum straight to New York.

At the 2023 US Open, Gauff kept her double faults under six every match, and her first serve peaked at a strong 69% against Laura Siegemund in R1. This blend of aggression and control helped her capture her first US Open title, proving that when she’s on, she’s unstoppable.

This season, Coco Gauff has played a total of 44 matches. She won 33 and lost 11. However, there’s a downside: over 13 tournaments, she committed 293 double faults. Despite this, she clinched the title at the French Open and made finals appearances in Rome and Madrid. The big question now is, will she overcome these technical challenges before heading to New York?