Despite her rise to prominence in women’s tennis, Coco Gauff’s forehand remains a focal point of critique. Robert Landsorp, the former coach of Pete Sampras, has weighed in on the issue, offering straightforward advice to help the young star refine this area of her game.
Gauff capped off her 2024 season with a remarkable victory at the WTA Finals, defeating World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Iga Swiatek. Her season-high ranking of World No.2 reflected her progress, though she failed to defend her US Open crown earlier in September.
While Gauff’s athleticism and powerful serve are often praised, critics have long identified her forehand as a vulnerability. Landsorp believes this weakness can be addressed with adjustments to her technique.
“When Coco Gauff was a junior, her coach had her try and hit a forehand like Serena [Williams],” said Landsorp. “But Serena has a different grip, so it never can be the same. Coco’s forehand issue is well-known, but correcting it is simple.”
Landsorp emphasized the importance of incorporating reverse forehands into Gauff’s training. “All she has to do is follow through down more, not like Serena [up high]. With that grip, the ball sails on her. A shorter hitting zone with her current grip makes it worse. By hitting 40 or 50 percent reverse forehands in practice, it will become natural.”
Drawing comparisons to Pete Sampras, Landsorp highlighted the benefits of proper follow-through, which helped Sampras improve his own forehand. “Sampras used a less western grip, enabling a shorter follow-through. The reverse forehand came into play when the ball was low, fast, or into the body, and that adaptability could benefit Gauff.”
Gauff’s team has yet to comment on Landsorp’s remarks, but the advice from such an experienced coach could help the 20-year-old refine her game as she aims for even greater success in 2025.
Coco Gauff in 2024
Now the world no.3, Coco played her last match on the 9th of November when she beat world no.5 Qinwen Zheng 3-6 6-4 7-6(2) in the final in Riyadh to win her 9th career title.
Currently, during this year the American has managed to achieve a 54-17 record. Coco conquered 3 titles in 2024 in Auckland, Beijing and Riyadh.
Coco Gauff will square off with the world no.212 Sinja Kraus in the . They have never played each other until now in top tournaments.
Coco clinched 3 titles in 2024 in Auckland, Beijing and Riyadh.
Coco won 9 titles in her career: 6 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Coco Gauff |
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