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Why Coco Gauff’s decision to hire a serving specialist has sparked debate

Originally posted on HITC | By George Patten | Last updated Nov 1, 2025 9:26 AM ET

Coco Gauff’s season has had its highlights, though it hasn’t been without its issues.

The American picked up her second Grand Slam title earlier this year, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final. But she wasn’t able to carry that form through the rest of the major tournaments in 2025.

Gauff fell to Dayana Yastremska in the opening round at Wimbledon and then lost to Naomi Osaka in the US Open last 16, closing out the year with a 14-3 record in Grand Slams.

Before Flushing Meadows began, Gauff decided to bring in serving expert Gavin MacMillan as her new coach, replacing Matt Daly. The decision drew criticism at the time and is now under scrutiny again.

Fellow American Ryan Harrison has added his voice to those concerns. Speaking on the Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, Harrison suggested that while it’s understandable for young players like Gauff to seek more control over their careers, they need to be mindful of what might get lost in that process.

Ryan Harrison raises questions about Coco Gauff’s coaching decision

“I think there’s a downside too because I think you lose some guidance along with autonomy,” said Harrison. “You have coaches who are hired for certain reasons and given certain positions because they’ve proven something or because they know something or whatever.”

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Coco Gauff is now gearing up for a crucial part of her season as she prepares for North America’s hard court swing – which kicks off with next month’s Canadian Open.

The next few weeks could go a long way toward shaping how people view her coaching decisions and overall approach this year.

Ryan Harrison thinks Coco Gauff made the wrong call by changing coaches just before the US Open

Speaking to Sky Sports, Harrison spoke about Gauff’s issues with her serve and questioned her decision to switch from Daly to MacMillan.

“She has won in spite of her serve. She is so good from the back of the court and is such a good athlete that she gets to a place where she is throwing her first serve in at 75mph and still winning majors and matches,” he said.

“How do you improve it?” He added: “Well, you don’t do what she did at the US Open, which is bring in a serve guru right on the precipice of the US Open, when all eyes are on her. You have to be smarter than that.”

https://twitter.com/SkySportsTennis/status/1961904412751798555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Harrison went on to say he thought Gauff’s decision had affected both her physical condition and mental focus.

He said: “For her team to bring in someone who is a serve expert and then to be out there serving for 45 minutes on every off day, you are going to kill your shoulder if you are resting up for Grand Slam tennis and everybody’s eyes are on her.”

“Okay, she has already been on the biggest stages, but she is in her early 20s and is dealing with all this pressure.”

“She won a match at the US Open and was in tears in the middle of the match because of everything that was going on.”

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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