Even champions have room to grow, and Coco Gauff's recent victory at the Italian Open offered a fresh reminder that her game is still a work in progress. The 20-year-old tennis phenom has long battled inconsistency with her serve and forehand—issues that have persisted into this season. During her three-set comeback against Solana Sierra, those familiar cracks in her armor were on full display.
But this time, fans spotted something new—and potentially more concerning. While Gauff's blistering speed and athleticism have been cornerstones of her rise to the top, eagle-eyed viewers noticed that her footwork may be the real culprit behind her struggles. Social media lit up with clips and commentary, sparking a heated debate among tennis enthusiasts.
"Just shockingly poor footwork for a player of her calibre," one fan posted. "I'll die on the hill that of all the problems in her game, that's the biggest one. It's hard to believe it hasn't been fixed all these years."
Others quickly connected the dots, arguing that her footwork is the root cause of her forehand woes. "She has really bad footwork. Her forehand problems are mainly because of that. She often hits on the back foot or falling to the side," another commenter observed.
The discussion gained momentum as more voices chimed in. One fan pointed out the difficulty of breaking lifelong habits: "It's hard to change the way you have been moving all your life…and judging from the fact she refuses to change her forehand (in my opinion easier to change), she will never change her footwork."
Another added a technical critique: "I'm not even sure she can hit a forehand with both feet on the ground. So many errors caused because of it…" A different user elaborated: "Yeah her footwork is a big issue. The leg in the air, she's almost always off balance on her forehand, no wonder she can't get good racket head speed."
What started as a post-match observation has quickly become one of the hottest topics in tennis circles. For a player of Gauff's elite caliber, these critiques are a reminder that even the brightest stars have areas to refine. As she continues her journey, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if she can address this surprising new weakness and take her game to the next level.