At the 2025 US Open, Coco Gauff looked every bit the champion — but behind the applause and the grit was a truth she didn’t shy away from admitting: this new phase with her coach is “mentally exhausting.” The 21-year-old rising star has taken a bold step, shaking up her coaching after struggling with a shaky serve, hoping to reset and rebuild. But the toll, she says, has been far heavier than most of us realize. Yahoo Sports+2WDIV+2
Gauff entered New York with a fresh team. She replaced her previous coach with Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics specialist — the same coach who once helped Aryna Sabalenka overhaul her serve. Yahoo Sports+1 The change was urgent: persistent double faults and serve inconsistency had been undermining her game, even after her French Open triumph. Yahoo Sports+1
After her grueling first-round win over Ajla Tomljanović — 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 — Gauff didn’t just celebrate the victory. She confessed that adjusting her serve was “really tough, mentally exhausting,” revealing the emotional weight of rewiring her muscle memory. AOL+1 She described the pre-tournament practice week as brutal: “serving until my shoulder was hurting.” Tennisuptodate.com+1
Despite the struggles, she saw glimmers of hope. In the final game of the third set, at 30-30, she managed to land the serve she needed — a small but telling breakthrough. “It wasn’t the best today … but it came in when it mattered.” The Independent+1 Looking back, she admitted she even “slipped into old habits” during the match under pressure, but said she believed the direction she’s heading is the right one. The Independent+1
It hasn’t just been a technical overhaul — it’s been a mental battle. Gauff admitted that, in high-stakes moments, she’s not just thinking about where to place her serve — she’s juggling strategy, point play, and the fear of reverting to past mistakes. ESPN.com+1 Changing coaches mid-season — especially as a Grand Slam titleholder — isn’t easy. But for Gauff, the potential upside is worth the inner turmoil.
Still, she was brutally honest about the pressure. She knows this isn’t a quick fix. “It’s tough,” she said. Yet, she also voiced determination: she’s trying. She wants to improve with each match. newsable.asianetnews.com+1
For fans and critics watching, the takeaway isn’t just about double faults or serve speed. It’s a rare glimpse into the mental cost of elite-level change. Under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe, Gauff isn’t just playing for points — she’s fighting for progress, one anxious serve at a time.
This isn’t just a comeback story. It’s a process. And Coco Gauff wants the world to know just how hard growth can really be.
