Coco Gauff was beaten last night in the semifinals in Dubai, outlasted by Elina Svitolina in a tough three-set clash.
And whilst the scoreline will tell the story of a hugely competitive encounter, for the American, it was another tale of woe.
After all, the only reason she managed to turn the match into a contest was because of her undying spirit, fighting against not just Svitolina, but her own technical failings too.
Her forehand was once again unpredictable, and she served another 12 double faults, some at crucial moments.
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What will be particularly frustrating for Coco Gauff is that she made a bold decision last year in an effort to try to fix these glaring issues. It’s fair to say that this move might be backfiring.
Coco Gauff’s bold coaching decision doesn’t seem to be working
Parting ways with the coach who led her to her Roland Garros triumph, Gauff’s decision to hire Gavin MacMillan was largely accepted by tennis fans.
After all, the biomechanics coach had proven his ability to solve similar shortcomings with Aryna Sabalenka, and the hope was that he could replicate his work on this 21-year-old superstar.
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Given what Gauff shouted mid-way through her match at her coach, it’s fair to say that this partnership is yet to bear fruit.
The world number four is arguably a worse player now than she was years ago, being forced to effectively play every match with a handicap.
Gauff will be desperate to fix these problems before they curtail her entire career. Her decision to uproot her entire coaching team last year and back MacMillan might be a move that is backfiring.
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At the moment, Gauff’s coaching staff consists of MacMillan, a solely technical operator, and Jean-Christophe Faurel, her long-time advisor.
Clearly, neither of these coaches is earning their keep whilst this undeniable talent continues to struggle with the simplest errors.
Gauff has the talent and determination to challenge for every Grand Slam title, and yet she routinely suffers shock exits despite turning each match into a dogfight.
Of course, the forehand and serve need fixing. But if MacMillan is not offering a solution, then perhaps it is time to bring in another technical coach alongside him to work in tandem with the biomechanics expert.
Bolstering her coaching team would only offer more experience and increase her chances of emerging from this dire situation.
She certainly needs to change something, because right now she seems to be regressing under her current leadership.
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