Andy Roddick Uses Aryna Sabalenka’s Rock Bottom Phase to Console Coco Gauff Amid On-Court Struggles
If just 2 days of working with Andy Roddick helped Coco Gauff significantly, imagine the big change she could bring in her game if he coached regularly. Gauff may not have had the start she wanted this year, but she had made it to the quarter-finals in Rome! The WTA pro marked an end to Paula Badosa‘s run for the title, defeating her in the round of 16 with a final of 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. However, although the young American managed to emerge victorious, the struggles with her serve continue to haunt her.
In the recent episode of the Tennis Channel Live Podcast, Andy Roddick carried out a detailed analysis of Gauff’s recent match at the Italian Open. The US Open champion has been struggling to set her serve right, as she faced criticism for her 35 double faults across three matches in Rome. Taking a different road from everyone else, Roddick believes there’s hope to set things right.
Roddick specifically highlighted the technical adjustments Gauff could make, suggesting she should consider adjusting her toss placement to aid her second serve. He said, “Coco on the second serve has to find a way to get the toss, more above her head and not so much forward.” He remembered his own experience watching Gauff’s amazing serves and mentioned, “I’ve been two feet from it and watched it almost become boring before because she’s making so many of them. She’s certainly capable.”
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Besides extending advice to Coco Gauff, Roddick found a better of explaining as he took Aryna Sabalenka‘s example. “If we rewind to the moment like two years ago when Aryna Sabalenka served like she would never make one again… So anybody can get rid of that!” This comparison aims to reassure Gauff that her struggles are temporary and that with consistency, she can overcome them.
Earlier this year, before the Australian Open, Coco Gauff spent a few days in Charlotte during the off-season, working with Andy Roddick. In this short period, Gauff along with her coach Brad Gilbert under Roddick’s guidance worked on on simplifying her motion. This was a career-changing lesson for her because she seemed to have issues when she got the tennis ball in her hand. Gauff’s first serves are fast but ineffective in points. So this needed fine-tuning and what better than learning from one of the best servers in tennis history? Roddick is fourth in career service games won (90.1%) and second-serve points won (55.9%).
To his surprise, he was blown away by Gauff’s professionalism and how she was so open to feedback. In an interview few months ago, the 41-year-old revealed, “With Coco, 15 minutes in she understood the concept. The good ones (first serves) were 124, pretty much on command. The second serve was consistent, had more height… She has the tools now, albeit there’s going to be a learning curve. But credit to her, taking something new and walking it out a month later. I think Coco will be a dominant server… I was blown away by the
Roddick helped Gauff understand the inconsistency with her toss and helped her overcome it. He told her, “We have to create something that’s bankable and it’s going to create more speed, the ball’s gonna turn a bit more. And I said, ‘All you gotta do is just release it from your fingertips and not your palm, and it needs to be released at shoulder height.’” The things Gauff got to learn from the 2003 US Open Champion really seemed to help because the improvement was visible immediately.
When Gauff was asked about her experience working with Roddick, she mentioned it helped her improve, “He’s a really chill guy. I met him before but never, like, obviously to that level… it was a really good two days. I think that my serve has improved… I think I just need to continue to trust it and trust all the work that I did in the offseason..” The 2023 US Open Champion also highlighted how she got the opportunity, “I don’t think I could have chosen anybody — or actually, I didn’t really choose, he offered. So I don’t think I could have gotten anybody else better to kind of help me with that.” The 20-year-old breezed through the Australian open after Roddick’s lessons.