Coco Gauff's Wimbledon 2023 loss has turned around her career similar to Serena Williams' French Open defeat, says Williams' ex-coach
Coco Gauff has wrapped the best season of her career in 2023, which saw her lift four titles, including a Grand Slam, and climb to her best-ever ranking.
The 2023 WTA tour was a season of two halves for the young American. Until the Wimbledon Championships, she had won one title at the WTA 250 Auckland Classic and reached the quarter-final of the French Open. She bowed out of the Wimbledon Championships in the first round.
However, after London, she turned her season around in one of the most incredible storylines of the year. Coco Gauff emerged victorious at the WTA 500 Citi Open, WTA 1000 Western & Southern Open, and the US Open.
Rennae Stubbs, a former WTA player and coach to Serena Williams, recently discussed Gauff's rise on the 2023 WTA tour on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast with fellow WTA star Andrea Petkovic.
Stubbs believes that losing to Sofia Kenin in the first round of Wimbledon was the event that turned around Coco Gauff's fortunes. She compared it to Serena Williams' loss to World No. 111 Virginie Razzano in the first round of the 2012 French Open.
After unceremoniously losing to Razzano, Serena Williams recouped and won the Wimbledon Championships, London Olympics gold medal, US Open, and WTA Finals.
Stubbs argued that losing early in London gave Gauff time to evaluate and start training for the hardcourt season.
"It's sort of similar to Serena losing first round of the French Open, yeah to French player what was her name the glasses, Virginie Razzano. I think that match turned around Serena's career and I think that this match turned around Coco's because she was out of there, she lost kind of earlyish in the doubles as well so she left early, went back to Florida and started training on hardcourt and you know got Brad Gilbert to help her out once Wimbledon was over and his ESPN duties were done," Stubbs said.
Rennae Stubbs stated that Gilbert helped Gauff rectify her game and focus more on her strengths. Under Gilbert's guidance, Gauff weaponized her speed on the court, made her backhand more lethal, and improved her serve so it's tough to break. They also worked rigorously on her error-ridden forehand, making it more manageable.
Stubbs continued:
"I think that what it did to her is that he made her understand I think that it's yes your forehand is definitely dodgy, definitely needs to change in some respects or we deal with it and we use all of what you've got going for you which is your legs, quickest player on tour you know arguably other than maybe Iga."
"Unbelievable backhand, serve when it's going in is huge very difficult to break her, good at the net, so good at the net, so everything she has going for her except the forehand so okay let's not miss the forehand and let's improve everything else and that's what happened," Stubbs added.
Who did Coco Gauff beat on her way to US Open triumph?
Coco Gauff came to New York for the last Grand Slam of the year in the best form of her young career. She had just won titles at the Citi Open and the Western & Southern Open, helping her become the No. 6 seed at the US Open.
She began her campaign in New York with a tricky contest against German veteran Laura Siegemund. Gauff defeated her in a three-set affair. The American went on to oust the young Russian Mirra Andreeva, No. 32 seed Elise Mertens, a resurgent Caroline Wozniacki, No. 20 seed Jelena Ostapenko, and No. 10 seed Karolina Muchova to enter her second Grand Slam final after Roland Garros in 2022.
Coco Gauff faced No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the title contest. The Belarusian took the first set 2-6, only for Gauff to bounce back in the second and seal the victory in the third set. The American defeated Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the US Open final.
Gauff ended her 2023 with a semi-final appearance at the WTA Finals and finished her season as the World No. 3.