Coco Gauff told what to change with her forehand now she’s under new coach Matt Daly

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As Coco Gauff aims to return to good form she has been told how to improve her forehand.

For the many qualities that the 20-year-old brings to a tennis court, she has two glaring weaknesses which opponents often look to exploit.

Gauff’s forehand and serve have certainly held her back at times this season and have been the main reason for the majority of her defeats this season.

These are aspects of her game that she is keen to improve as well as becoming more aggressive in certain situations.

In what ways has Coco Gauff been encouraged to change her forehand?

According to the WTA website, Coco Gauff has served over 300 double faults this year, the highest number of any player ranked inside the WTA Tour’s top 100.

The forehand has also been a huge concern. Brain Game Tennis reported that Gauff committed 95 errors off her forehand at the 2024 US Open.

During Gauff’s win over Clara Burel at the China Open, commentator Annabel Croft believes Gauff plays a more effective forehand when she has less time to think and therefore does a better job of hitting through the ball.

Prakash Amritraj from the Tennis Channel however, urged Gauff to try a different approach on the forehand from a technical standpoint, while also encouraging the American to be more aggressive with the shot.

“When you took a look at that match right there I think we’re off to a good start. It’s about confidence and decision-making in the big moments and in that match I thought she did great,” he said.

“I just love seeing her inside the baseline stepping into that forehand and being a little bit more aggressive. When her body’s forward I think she fixes a lot of her errors.

“When she’s sort of way behind the baseline and trying to loop that thing that’s when she gets into trouble gets pushed around a little bit. So I think it’s a little bit of that mentality and so far it seems so good.”

Why did Coco Gauff hire Matt Daly?

Following a disappointing summer in which she failed to make the quarter-finals at five successive events, Gauff decided it was time for a change.

Gauff’s US Open fourth defeat to Emma Navarro was the last match that Brad Gilbert would be her coach, as they parted ways after just over a year working together.

Gauff has since hired Matt Daly, a former collegiate tennis player who previously worked with the ATP’s Denis Shapovalov.

Before her first match at the China Open, Gauff expressed her excitement to work with a new coach as she aims to get her season back on track.

“I’m really excited,” Gauff told WTA Insider. “I think this is probably what it will look like next year too. I’m super excited for a new change and hopefully to improve other parts of my game.

“Working with Brad was really great and obviously we had a great partnership. I think it was just time to do a reset, a refresh, and add some things in my game that I felt like I need to do to have a better season next year.”