Tennis coach Rick Macci has shared his thoughts on Coco Gauff once again, and this time, he’s talking about how she deals with tough moments. Macci, who has trained some of the biggest names in tennis, went on X to talk about the American star’s mental game.
The 21-year-old keeps proving she has what it takes to compete at the highest level by her consistent results on tour.
Rick Macci Praises Coco Gauff’s Resilience
Gauff has had quite an impressive year in 2025. She won her second Grand Slam at the French Open in June, beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, in a match that went for two hours and 38 minutes.
The American became the youngest woman to reach the finals of all three big clay tournaments – Madrid, Rome, and Paris – in one season. She’s the first American woman to win the French Open since Serena Williams, who did it in 2015.
Her season started strongly in January with the United Cup win, where she didn’t lose a single match. When the team faced Poland in the final, Gauff beat Iga Świątek 6-4, 6-4 to help Team USA take the title. During the clay season, she made finals in Madrid and Rome but lost those matches in straight sets to Aryna Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini, respectively.
This month, Gauff took home the Wuhan Open trophy, beating fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in the final. She won all matches without dropping a set and only gave up 25 games in five matches to claim her third WTA 1000 title and 11th singles title overall.
She also set a record by winning her first nine hard-court finals in the Open Era, achieving this feat at just 21 years old.
After Gauff’s win in Wuhan, Macci, who has worked with legends like Serena and Venus Williams, posted on X about her mental toughness. In his tweet, he said,
“Coco is getting stronger mentally because of adversity.” He pointed out that “Some get weaker, but she is wired very different from being in a home of athletes and they can take negatives and flip them into more determination, focus, and desire when they are in the fire,” while tagging Gauff.
Coco is getting stronger mentally because of adversity. Some get weaker but she is wired very different from being in a home of athletes and they can take negatives and flip them into more determination focus and desire when they are in the fire. @CocoGauff
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) October 19, 2025
This isn’t the first time Macci has backed Gauff this year. Earlier in 2025, he stood up for her when she struggled with her serve and lost matches, saying she would win multiple Grand Slams and be No. 1 down the road. He’s called her athletic abilities special and said she’s “the best athlete on the planet.”
MORE: As Coco Gauff Proves Serena Williams’ Former Coach Correct With Wuhan Act, He Sends a Strong Message
Macci’s comments came at a good time, right after Gauff’s showing in Wuhan, highlighting how she’s come back from rough patches. She had a fourth-round loss against Naomi Osaka at the US Open, and her serve gave her trouble all season.
She has hit 320 double faults till August 2025, more than anyone else on the WTA Tour, but she still won big titles and stayed in the top three rankings.
Looking ahead, Gauff is getting ready for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, carrying good form from her matches in Asia. Last year, she won the WTA Finals title, so now she is set to defend it. If she manages to win again, she’ll be the first player since the 23-time Grand Slam Champion to win back-to-back WTA Finals, who did it three times straight from 2012 to 2014.