Mental Hurdle I Must Clear

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, September 1, 2024
Picture credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty for ITF Davis Cup

NEW YORK—Coco Gauff served up self-sabotage as Emma Navarro ended her US Open reign as we speak.

The world No. 3 will search assist from a serve physician to attempt to treatment her second-serve points.

More: Depleted Djokovic on What Went Wrong

Navarro exploited 19 double faults from Gauff dethroning the defending champion 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to cost into her maiden US Open quarterfinal.

Gauff dedicated 11 of her 19 double faults within the remaining set. The outcome was almost 5 video games of double faults Gauff gifted as we speak.

Harassed by Navarro’s aggressive return place, Gauff’s serving struggles as we speak stemmed from the strain of her maiden main title protection. A number of of these double faults went into the web as Gauff generally pulls her head down too early, collapses the left aspect of her physique and might decelerate her swing on second serve.

“I imply, clearly I’m going down on my left aspect quite a bit on my serve, and it is one thing I am conscious of, but it surely’s robust within the second to I assume strive to not do it,” Gauff stated.

Total, Gauff dedicated 38 double faults in 4 Flushing Meadows matches.

Gauff, who labored with former No. 1 Andy Roddick to attempt to decrease her ball toss and unfold the service field, stated the second serve is a psychological hurdle she should clear.

To that finish, she plans to hunt a serving specialist, maybe revisit her work with Roddick, to treatment that second serve.

“Yeah, I positively wish to get different opinions as a result of, you understand — and in addition I believe it is generally extra of an emotional, psychological factor as a result of if I’m going out on the observe court docket proper now, I might make, like, 30 serves in a row,” Gauff stated. “I’ve achieved it earlier than. I believe it is also simply type of a psychological hurdle that I’ve to recover from when it comes with that. However, yeah, I positively wish to have a look at different issues as a result of I do not wish to lose matches like this anymore.”