Coco Gauff’s run to the semifinals at the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships sparked debate, but former American pros John Isner and Steve Johnson are not buying the idea that she is in crisis.
On the latest episode of the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast, the pair pushed back on claims that the World No. 4 is “struggling,” even as they acknowledged the visible frustration that boiled over during her loss to Elina Svitolina.
What Did John Isner and Steve Johnson Make of Coco Gauff’s On-Court Outburst?
On the Nothing Major podcast, Isner acknowledged the issue but urged perspective. “It was a good result, but she struggled in the semifinal again and was having issues with her serve. So, yes, obviously we know she just needs to shore up that one part of her game because the rest of her game is just ridiculously rock solid,” Isner said.
He added that Gauff’s ambitions go beyond semifinal finishes. “I don’t think if you were to tell her, ‘Oh, you can make semifinals at the beginning of the tournament,’ I don’t think she’d take that, right? She’d want to take the title there. But I think she’s still trending in the right direction for someone of her caliber. People are saying she’s struggling. I don’t see it that way. I think she’s getting closer to her top level.”
MORE: ‘Lost Years of My Life’ – Coco Gauff Gets Real About How Her Dubai Exit Unfolded
Johnson focused more on the in-match exchange. “I mean, she did have a bit of a jaw with her coach, Gavin McMillan, the serve specialist that she brought in before the Open. So, that’s not a good sign,” Johnson said.
Reflecting on the moment, he added, “In the middle of the match, it looked like she was saying, ‘I’ve done everything you’ve asked, and I’m still serving like this,’ something along those lines. That’s not what you want to be saying.”
Johnson drew from personal experience. “Look, I said that a lot to my coaches, why am I playing so bad? But that was more of a me issue. She’s much better than me, and she wins a lot more than me, and she’s way more successful. So you would expect her not to have those types of in-match meltdowns. But it’s something to watch. Maybe we’ll see if it’s not working out with Gavin and the serve’s not getting there.”
Gauff’s Serve Struggles Take Center Stage in Dubai
The conversation follows a dramatic week in Dubai that put Gauff’s serve under the microscope. Entering as the third seed, she received a first-round bye and opened with a steady 6-4, 6-4 win over Anna Kalinskaya.
In her third-round match against Elise Mertens, she saved three match points to prevail 2-6, 7-6 (9), 6-3, despite serving 16 double faults and committing 63 unforced errors. She rebounded emphatically in the quarterfinals, dispatching Alexandra Eala 6-0, 6-2 in just over an hour.
The semifinal against seventh-seeded Svitolina stretched to nearly three hours, with the Ukrainian ultimately winning 6-4, 6-7 (13), 6-4. The second-set tiebreak, which Gauff claimed 15-13 after saving four match points, was the longest on the WTA Tour in 2026. The American struck 12 double faults that night, continuing a troubling pattern from earlier in the week.
Midway through the second set at 3-3, 15-15, another double fault triggered a visible outburst. Microphones caught Gauff directing her frustration toward her coaching box, specifically biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan.
“I’ve been doing everything you’ve wanted for the last 6 months…” she shouted.
MacMillan, hired in August 2025 ahead of the US Open, was brought in to reshape her service motion and stabilize her forehand. He previously helped rebuild Aryna Sabalenka’s serve.
Gauff is set to compete next at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, scheduled for Mar. 4-15.
