Coco Gauff has built a reputation for winning ugly. More often than not, the American finds a way to come out on top despite not being at her best level. She is also someone who doesn’t mind long matches and thrives when her back is against the wall.
Andy Roddick, the former World No. 1, dissected Gauff’s ability to escape defeats, noting that the 22-year-old’s performance directly influences her opponents’.
Andy Roddick Shares His Thoughts on Why Coco Gauff’s Opponents Unravel Against Her
Gauff has played 43 singles matches so far in 2026 and won 31 of those. 15 of these wins have been three-setters. The American has famously struggled with her serve for over a year, and her forehand has often drawn concerns from the tennis community.
According to Roddick, the technical errors haven’t stopped Gauff from winning matches because of her superior defensive skills and athleticism, which rattle her rivals. When asked whether her opponents make more mistakes than usual when playing against her, the tennis icon said:
“If you’re having to hit three or four extra shots per rally and you expand that over three sets, guess what that means? It means you’re going to make more errors because you’re hitting more balls. So, simply that,” he said on the Q & A episode of the Served podcast.
“When someone’s as fast as Coco, if you do have a chance, you tend to go for more because you know that’s what it takes against someone who is so good defensively,” he added.
Roddick claimed that Gauff has multiple ways to win when one strategy fails and possesses the ability to dictate the flow and quality of a match.
“The third point that I think is very important to make is Coco, if she’s playing badly, she is able to mix it up and beat you a lot of different ways. She kind of brings your level down with hers. And I don’t say that as an insult. That is a compliment. That is a skill.”
“Everything going well? Hit big, serve big, and all that. The (double faults) are coming, kick the first serve in. If I’m missing my forehand, I’m not scared to slice it in the middle of the court because I know that I can play defense,” he noted.
“So, I’m just basically going to D up (play defense) and ask the question for the next two and a half hours. Can you beat me enough times, and do you have the skill set to beat my speed?”
Gauff’s technical shortcomings are rarely enough to rule her out of a match. However, her inability to consistently produce her best tennis has contributed to her title drought this season. She reached the finals at the WTA 1000 events in Miami and Rome but fell in the final hurdles.
On grass, where she had not won a match in the previous two years, Gauff produced a remarkable run to the Wimbledon semifinals, defeating Jessica Pegula and Belinda Bencic along the way. She held a match point against Karolína Muchová in the semifinal but couldn’t convert.
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Her serving woes have shown signs of easing, but the American would have to be at her best to make a mark during the North American hardcourt swing.
