What “blew me away” about working with Coco, according to Andy Roddick
Working with Coco Gauff, according to Andy Roddick, left him “absolutely blown away” because of the American’s “professional manner” and the way she provided comments and took in information.
The former number one in the world acknowledged that he assisted Gauff in refining her serve in the off-season and predicted that the WTA player would develop into “a dominant server.”
In the Australian Open semi-finals in Melbourne last month, Gauff lost to world No. 2 and eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.
The 19-year-old was trying to make it to her second major final in as many months after winning her first Grand Slam victory in September by defeating Sabalenka in three sets at the 2023 US Open final.
After successfully defending her championship in Auckland to start the 2024 season, the world No. 3 defeated the 25-year-old Belarusian in her first ten matches.
Talking about his work with Gauff on the practice court, Roddick said on his Served podcast that he would be happy to assist the 19-year-old again if needed.
Within fifteen minutes, Coco grasped the idea. The initial serves (excellent ones) totaled 124, almost exactly as requested. The US Open champion from 2003 claimed that the second serve was more height and reliable.
“Although there will be a learning curve, she now has the tools.” However, she deserves praise for attempting something novel and finishing it a month later. I anticipate Coco becoming the dominant server.
“After spending two or three days with her, I was really impressed with her professional demeanor, her ability to provide constructive criticism, and her ability to absorb information.”
Not everyone is as well-known as Coco Gauff; there are some who put in less effort. I was blown away, especially because I’m not quite twenty. Anytime she asked, I would be there to support her. She impressed me so much.
According to my account, on good days, you really wouldn’t notice much because of how uneven her toss was. She may occasionally have excellent serving days, but she hadn’t given her toss much thought, right?
Therefore, I indicated that one item might significantly impact all of those problems, including arm-elbow posture and folds, at the conclusion. “You throw the ball from about your waist; you kind of flip it up, which creates spin, and you have to chase it,” I say.
Therefore, it’s okay when it functions. When it’s awful, it’s really awful. 25 double faults in one match, I believe, occurred in the World Tour Finals the previous year. “Listen, we need to give ourselves a little extra margin,” I remarked.
The ball will turn a little bit more as we develop something that is bankable and will increase speed. “All you need to do is release it at shoulder height, using your fingertips rather than your palm,” I said.