Rick Macci, Serena Williams’ ex-coach and a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Hall of Fame, has made some bold predictions about Coco Gauff’s future at Wimbledon. Despite her first-round exit from the 2025 tournament, Macci remains confident in Gauff’s potential and continues to believe in her.
On Jul. 2, Gauff faced a crushing defeat in her opening match at this year’s grass-court major, losing to Dayana Yastremska. The second seed in the women’s singles was outplayed by the Ukrainian, who earned a 7-6(3), 6-1 win to move on to the next round.
Rick Macci Still Has Faith in Coco Gauff’s ‘Inner Qualities’
Following Gauff’s exit from the grass-court Slam, where she made it to the Round of 16 last year, Macci expressed his support for the 21-year-old, offering some bold predictions.
After the match that same day, Macci shared a post on X, commenting on how the court surface can lead to surprising outcomes, even for highly skilled players. Tagging Coco Gauff, he wrote:
“Never overreact to results at Wimby. It is just a snapshot in time on an ice green court that is really a different sport. Your asset become a liability and a liability becomes an asset because the green is something for 50 weeks you do not play on or have not seen. @CocoGauff”
Never overreact to results at Wimby. It is just a snapshot in time on an ice green court that is really a different sport. Your asset become a liability and a liability becomes an asset because the green is something for 50 weeks you do not play on or have not seen. @CocoGauff
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) July 2, 2025
The very next day, the 70-year-old American coach shared another post supporting Gauff, expressing his strong belief that she will become a Wimbledon champion in the future. He also commented on her skills and how they will benefit her over the course of her career.
“Coco some day no doubt will win Wimbledon. She is 21 and just begun. Her inner qualities and speed is all your need. Forehand will become more compact and easier for her to attack. Coco will come back stronger and because of her backbone her game will last longer. @CocoGauff,” Macci wrote.
Coco some day no doubt will win Wimbledon. She is 21 and just begun. Her inner qualities and speed is all your need. Forehand will become more compact and easier for her to attack. Coco will come back stronger and because of her backbone her game will last longer. @CocoGauff
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) July 3, 2025
Although Gauff’s Wimbledon campaign didn’t go as planned, she’s already bagged a Grand Slam trophy earlier this year, winning the Roland Garros.
Coco Gauff Claims Her First-Ever Clay Court Slam Title This Season
After several attempts over the past few seasons, Gauff finally got her hands on the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup this year. Back in 2022, the American made it all the way to the final of the clay-court Slam but fell short against Iga Swiatek.
Once again in 2024, she bent the knee before the Polish star in the semifinal match. Notably, Gauff also reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros twice, in 2021 and 2023.
In 2025, her hard work finally paid off as she claimed her first-ever French Open title at just 21 years old. The American cruised through the early rounds, defeating Olivia Gadecki, Tereza Valentova, Marie Bouzkova, and Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets. Her impressive run set up a quarterfinal clash with this year’s Australian Open champion, Madison Keys.
After defeating Keys in the quarterfinals and Lois Boisson in the semifinals, Gauff advanced to the final, where she faced World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Despite losing the first set, the American bounced back and captured her maiden French Open title.
