Coco Gauff, the tennis prodigy from Delray Beach, has conquered red clay with the ferocity of a lion, most recently claiming the French Open title in June 2025. Yet, on the lush green grass of Wimbledon, her game has consistently unraveled. Her shocking first-round exit on July 1, 2025, against Ukraine’s 42nd-ranked Dayana Yastremska in straight sets (7-6, 6-1) was no anomaly—it was a vivid illustration of the challenges Gauff faces on grass, as explained by her former coach, the legendary Rick Macci.
Macci, the Boca Raton-based tennis guru who shaped the careers of Serena and Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati, and others, isn’t surprised by Gauff’s early departure from Wimbledon. Speaking to The Palm Beach Post, Macci dissected the 21-year-old’s struggles with the precision of a surgeon, pointing to her playing style and the unique demands of grass courts as the culprits behind her latest setback.
A Forehand Mismatch on Grass
Gauff’s game, built on a severe Western forehand grip and a long, sweeping backswing, generates devastating topspin that dominates on clay and hard courts. However, on the slick, fast-moving grass of Wimbledon, this technique becomes her Achilles’ heel. “The ball skids on grass, favoring players who hit cleaner, earlier, and flatter,” Macci explained. “Coco’s forehand, with its big radius and need for extra time, gets rushed. On clay or hard courts, she’s in her element, but grass exposes that vulnerability.”
Macci calls this mismatch “the daily double”—a combination of Gauff’s technical limitations and the surface’s unforgiving nature that derails her at Wimbledon. This isn’t a new phenomenon; Gauff has never advanced past the fourth round at the All England Club. In 2023, she suffered a similar first-round upset to another Macci protégé, Sofia Kenin, underscoring a recurring pattern.
A Hasty Transition and Missed Opportunities
Gauff’s preparation for Wimbledon didn’t help her cause. After her French Open triumph on June 9, where she outclassed Aryna Sabalenka to claim her second Grand Slam title, Gauff embarked on a whirlwind media tour in the United States and a brief return to Delray Beach. With the tight turnaround between Roland Garros and Wimbledon—the shortest between any two majors—she opted for just one grass-court tune-up in Berlin. There, she fell in the first round to qualifier Xinyu Wang (6-3, 6-3), a loss that foreshadowed her Wimbledon woes.
Instead of playing additional competitive matches on grass, Gauff chose to focus on practice. Macci, however, believes this was a critical error. “Nothing beats live matches,” he said. “You can practice all you want, but nothing replicates the tension and moments of a real match.” Yastremska, an accomplished grass-court player, capitalized on Gauff’s lack of match rhythm, exposing her discomfort on the surface.
Movement and Mindset: Grass’s Unique Challenges
Gauff’s athleticism is unparalleled—she’s often described as the fastest player on the WTA Tour, an “Olympic runner with a racket,” as Macci puts it. Yet, grass courts neutralize her speed. “Movement on grass is a different animal,” Macci noted. “It’s harder to change direction in the corners, and Coco’s movement, while explosive on clay and hard courts, isn’t as efficient on grass.” This inefficiency compounds the pressure, as points end quickly, leaving little room for recovery.
Mentally, Wimbledon has become a hurdle for Gauff. Her breakthrough at 15 in 2019, when she stunned Venus Williams and reached the fourth round, remains her career highlight on grass. Since then, however, the surface seems to haunt her. “When you start missing shots or losing points differently than on other surfaces, it becomes a mental battle,” Macci said. “The quick points and frustration can wear on even the toughest competitors.”
Double Faults and Endorsements: No Excuses
Gauff’s nine double faults in her loss to Yastremska raised eyebrows, but Macci dismissed them as a non-issue. “She leads the tour in double faults and is still No. 2 in the world,” he said, highlighting her ability to overcome an erratic second serve on other surfaces. Similarly, Macci rejected the notion that Gauff’s status as the highest-paid female sports endorser has dulled her hunger. “Her endorsements don’t affect her drive,” he insisted. “Her parents, Cori and Candi, keep her grounded. coco’s tears after the match showed how much she cares.”
A Clay Queen with Grass Dreams
Gauff’s dominance on clay is undeniable. Her French Open record—finals in 2022, quarterfinals in 2023, semifinals in 2024, and a title in 2025—marks her as a red-dirt dynamo. “On clay, she gets back so many balls, you have to win the point two or three times,” Macci said. Hard courts also suit her, allowing her to push off quickly and leverage her speed. Grass, however, remains her kryptonite.
Still, Macci is optimistic about Gauff’s future at Wimbledon. “She needs a more compact forehand, cleaner strokes, and a stronger second serve,” he said. “With time, she can win here. She’s only 21, and her competitive spirit is unmatched.”
Learning from Defeat
In her post-match press conference, a tearful Gauff admitted to a “French Open hangover.” “I was overwhelmed after the win and didn’t have enough time to celebrate and reset,” she said. “I learned a lot about what I’d do differently next time.” Despite the disappointment, Gauff is already looking ahead to the U.S. hardcourt season, starting in late July, as she prepares for the U.S. Open, where she claimed her first major in 2023.
“I’m not going to dwell on this,” Gauff vowed. “I want to do well at the U.S. Open.”
For now, the grass courts of Wimbledon remain a puzzle for Coco Gauff. But with her talent, determination, and the wisdom of mentors like Rick Macci, the tennis world awaits the day she cracks the code and hoists the Venus Rosewater Dish.