Coco Gauff has dominated much of the build-up to the US Open as she aims to defend her title from 2023.
Gauff practised with Billie Jean King ahead of the US Open, before getting off to a winning start against Varvara Gracheva.
The 20-year-old needed just 66 minutes to make it through the first round clash in Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Gauff winning 6-2, 6-0.
John McEnroe praised Gauff ahead of the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, despite her worrying form going into the event.
After reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open and French Open, she fell at the fourth round of Wimbledon.
Marion Bartoli makes claim about Coco Gauff’s forehand
Disappointing early exits then came at the Olympics, Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open in a miserable run.
Former Wimbledon winner Marion Bartoli has now pinpointed one area in particular that could be playing a major role, saying on Sky Sports Tennis: “Coco always had an extreme grip on the forehand and sometimes when she is losing the confidence, the racket just doesn’t flow.
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“There is no racket speed any more. The problem was fixed last year because they asked her to use a different move with the wrist before hitting the shot. That almost forced her to drop the racket head and accelerate.
“The problem is that she went back to what was more comfortable for her, which is how she learned to play when she was 12 or 13. And often for a player, when you feel under stress and pressure you will go back to what you had learned way before, that’s exactly what is happening now.”
Can Coco Gauff fix her forehand issues at the US Open?
Defending a US Open title is no mean feat, with Gauff’s compatriot Serena Williams the last woman to defend her crown.
The American legend won three titles in a row between 2012 and 2014, with Gauff chasing a second successive win after beating Aryna Sabalenka in 2023.
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But perhaps it will only be achieved by perfecting her forehand, with Bartoli offering advice to the youngster for Flushing Meadows.
“The only thing that I think she can fix, because I don’t think she can move the racket, but she can fix how much she uses her legs to compensate for the lack of racket speed,” added Bartoli.
“She can really use her legs a bit more to body transfer herself into the shot and go slightly more on to the front foot, so less open stance on the forehand when you really have to generate a lot of speed with the racket and more slightly for an offensive shot on the front leg.
“But let’s face it, it is difficult to correct something in season and when you have so many points to defend. It is not an easy task.”
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