Will the Summer of Coco extend to Flushing Meadows?

Troubleshooting: Aware that her forehand was a weakness, Gauff has worked on altering her footwork to get into better positions to hit the stroke with more venom. | Photo credit: Getty Images

Going big: Gauff has hit the 126mph mark on her serve, but wants to continue to increase the average speed of her first delivery as she adopts a more aggressive style. | Photo credit: Getty Images

Stung by a first-round exit at Wimbledon this year, Coco Gauff spent a “a lot of nights crying and trying to figure it all out”. 

The American teenage prodigy had been picked out for greatness by several tennis luminaries, including 18-time Major winner Chris Evert. But while Gauff’s credentials of being a world-class player were never in doubt — she has been a regular feature in the WTA top 10 since September 2022 — people were beginning to talk about her lack of progress in Grand Slam events. The criticism peaked after the loss to Sofia Kenin on the grass at SW19.

“I told myself I can either let this crush me or make me rise and I decided to make myself rise from it,” Gauff said. She vowed to channel the frustration she felt into improving her game as she continued her quest for a Grand Slam breakthrough. “I have to go back to the drawing board and see where I need to improve,” she said in London.

Renewed vigour

After a period of introspection and problem-solving, Gauff hit the North American hard courts ahead of the US Open with renewed vigour. 

The results show that her process is working. Since the despair of Wimbledon, the 19-year-old has won 11 of 12 matches. She was victorious in Washington DC, her first 500-level title, and reached the quarters in Montreal before completing the biggest triumph of her young career in Cincinnati, a 1000-level event where she beat World No. 1 Iga Swiatek for the first time.

Gauff became the youngest winner of the Cincinnati WTA title and the first teenager to notch up five career titles since Caroline Wozniacki in 2008-09. On this form, the World No. 6 looks poised to be a real threat at Flushing Meadows, where the final Major of the year — the US Open — starts on Monday. 

So what has Gauff done to elevate her game since the start of the hard-court swing?

She acknowledged after the defeat to Kenin that her forehand, which opponents were targeting successfully, needed work. 

It was a line of analysis other experts had forwarded as the reason for her struggles, as well. Veteran coach Rick Macci, who has…