The last time Coco Gauff stepped on a doubles court, she and Asian sensation Alex Eala battled their way to the Italian Open quarterfinals before falling to a fiery homegrown duo. Fast forward to the Canadian Open, and Gauff’s solo campaign hit a brutal roadblock after a stunning upset by local star Victoria Mboko. With eyes set firmly on the US Open, it looked like momentum had slipped from her hands. But just when things seemed to unravel, fate flipped the script as Coco Gauff’s Canadian Open campaign took a sharp, unexpected turn only hours after the Mboko shocker, reigniting her fire.

While Coco Gauff continues her singles grind, she’s also been bringing the heat in doubles, this time, teaming up with fellow American McCartney Kessler at the Canadian Open. The duo has been making serious noise at the Canadian Open, lighting up the court with fire and chemistry.

In a statement win that shook up the draw, Gauff and Kessler took down the powerful pairing of Barbora Krejcikova and Jelena Ostapenko to punch their ticket to the semifinals. The WTA couldn’t help but celebrate the moment, posting on X: “Double the fun 🤩@CocoGauff and McCartney Kessler book their spot in the semis!”

The clash against Ostapenko and Krejcikova turned into a three-set battle, but Coco Gauff and McCartney Kessler held their nerve. Both teams fired off two aces, but the American duo edged ahead with a 73% first-serve rate and won 65% of those points. They converted 3 out of 6 break points, compared to their opponents’ 3 out of 8, and dominated key stretches to punch their ticket to the semifinals.

Now set to face Olga Danilovic and Hsieh Su-wei, Coco shifts her focus fully to doubles after a shocking singles loss yesterday. But there’s work to do; her serve remains a glaring weakness. If she hopes to turn things around, that weapon needs serious recalibration.

Coco Gauff’s double faults are proving costly lately

Heading into Montreal, Coco Gauff’s biggest battle wasn’t against a top seed; it was with her own second serve. Rattled by a staggering 37 double faults in just her first two matches, the writing was already on the wall. Against Victoria Mboko, the count dropped to six, but the wounds ran deeper. She won just 12 of 27 points behind that shaky second delivery. Meanwhile, Mboko stood tall, saving all five break points and converting four of five on Coco’s serve. In this high-stakes chess match, that was checkmate.

The warning sirens around Gauff’s serve aren’t new. Legendary coach Rick Macci, known for training Serena Williams, didn’t hold back, describing her movement as biomechanically disconnected. But he’s not giving up on her. After her gritty win over Danielle Collins, Macci went all in: “If Coco had an ATP forehand with style, she would go the extra mile… With her second serve, this can be rewired easily right from the ground and in 1 hour be a weapon and fundamentally sound.” His belief remains unshakable, even as her form wavers.

Fresh off her win over Kudermetova, Coco dropped her guard and spoke from the heart. There was no denial, just frustration. “I just would like for it to transfer to the match. And you know, it does give positives, that okay, like I’m not winning these matches having literally like one part of my game on a crutch.” The gulf between her training court confidence and match-day nerves is widening, gnawing at her rhythm.

Across three matches, the numbers speak louder than ever: 43 double faults. The alarms are no longer whispers; they’re roars.

Now, with Cincinnati and the US Open around the bend, the clock is ticking. Can Gauff turn those faults into fuel, firing with the accuracy of a sniper and the power of a storm?