MELBOURNE, Australia — At Melbourne Park during the Australian Open, there’s a young woman who bears a striking resemblance to Coco Gauff. She has the same fiery, competitive look, the same tendency to laugh mid-sentence, and, notably, the same number of titles.

How Coco Gauff came to the Australian Open with a new serve and forehand

However, her style of play is distinct. This version of Gauff seems to evolve at the pace of a new iPhone model—one that refreshes almost annually.https://wordpress.com/

The first iteration of her game was all about athleticism and aggressive play. Then came Gauff 2.0, the version that embraced a more scrappy, “winning ugly” style under the guidance of coach Brad Gilbert in the summer of 2023.

Her forehand, once a liability, was adjusted with high topspin to cover its weaknesses, and her defense became a hallmark of her game. This new approach helped her clinch the 2023 U.S. Open, her first Grand Slam title.

But soon, the “winning ugly” formula began to falter. Gauff struggled against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina, suffering disappointing exits at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, where Emma Navarro outlasted her.

With the “winning ugly” model no longer effective, it was time for Gauff 3.0: a focus on refining her serve and forehand.

What Gauff and her team initially anticipated as a three- or four-month project started to show results in just a few weeks. And since then, her progress has been impressive.

Gauff has posted an 18-2 record since her U.S. Open exit. She’s defeated Swiatek twice and Sabalenka once. She claimed the WTA 1000 title in Beijing, followed by a victory at the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, earning a record-breaking $5.5 million payday, the largest in women’s tennis history. She also helped lead the U.S. to victory at the United Cup in Australia, with a notable win over Swiatek.

As she began her 2024 Australian Open campaign on Monday against fellow American Sofia Kenin, it became clear that Gauff 3.0 is the version of her that rivals feared might one day emerge.

Gauff won 6-3, 6-3, but her performance was not without its imperfections. She double-faulted nine times and struggled with her groundstrokes when Kenin kept the ball out of her ideal hitting zone. Gauff made more unforced errors than winners, and while she avoided any major trouble in this first round, it’s clear she still has areas to refine.

The 18-year-old knows that her path toward improving her serve and forehand will be full of challenges—especially as she progresses through the tournament.

To tackle these issues, Gauff enlisted two key coaches: Jean-Christophe Faurel, who has worked with her on and off since her teenage years, and Matt Daly, a former NCAA Division 1 player from the University of Notre Dame, who has played a pivotal role in her technical adjustments.

Daly came on board shortly after Gauff’s disappointing loss to Navarro at the U.S. Open, where she double-faulted 19 times. She vowed never to endure a match like that again. Daly’s first task was to address her service motion. He diagnosed that Gauff’s grip caused her to rush through her service motion, preventing her from making solid contact with the ball.

Most players use a continental grip for serving, but Gauff’s grip was slightly altered, which made it difficult for her to generate topspin on her second serves. Daly had her adjust the placement of her hand on the racket, a subtle but crucial change that’s already showing positive results.

The forehand, initially thought to require a grip change, was found to be more about her body mechanics. Instead of relying too heavily on her legs to defend, Gauff began using them to position herself earlier in the rally and take the ball more aggressively with an open-stance forehand. The key change was to attack the ball, rather than merely reacting to it.

In her pre-tournament press conference, Gauff spoke about the discomfort she felt during these adjustments but also emphasized the importance of pushing through that discomfort for the sake of long-term growth.

“It’s about focusing on the long-term path and making adjustments that I hope will set me up for a successful career,” she said.

Despite the discomfort, Gauff understands that the top players are all becoming more aggressive, and simply relying on defense is no longer a viable strategy.

She reflected on her mindset shift during the 2024 season. She admitted that she no longer let losses affect her as deeply, acknowledging that winning is important, but it shouldn’t be treated as a given.

Following the 2024 season, Gauff took a break, spending two weeks away from tennis to rest and recharge, away from any sponsor obligations or media appearances. She enjoyed some time with friends at a music festival and didn’t play another competitive match until the new year. This extended break was a rare occurrence for the young star, who had previously faced the pressure of always being in the spotlight.

Even amid her rebuilding phase, Gauff consciously avoided obsessing over results. Now, as she enters the 2024 Australian Open with one of the best stretches of tennis in her career, the real test will be maintaining her newfound serenity—a challenge she has struggled with in the past.

“Stay in the moment and enjoy it as much as possible,” Gauff said. “That’s been my focus the last few tournaments. The results have obviously been positive, but I’m trying to learn to keep that mindset even when things aren’t going perfectly.”