Coco Gauff returns to the US Open very different from one year ago: What changed

Coco Gauff is heading back to New York with a new perspective and a major change to her game.

Ahead of the 2026 US Open, the 22-year-old tennis star reflected on the difficult position she found herself in at last year’s tournament, when an ambitious attempt to rebuild her serve became as much of a mental challenge as a technical one.

“I think last year, I was in a tough spot in my game,” Gauff told People while discussing how her approach has evolved over the past 12 months.

The American star entered the 2025 US Open under intense scrutiny over her serve. After struggling with double faults throughout the season, Gauff made the bold decision to begin changing her mechanics just before one of the biggest tournaments of the year.

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The timing meant she was trying to compete at the highest level while simultaneously adjusting one of the most important parts of her game.

“I changed my serve, decided to change my serve almost a year ago coming up, and I wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be right off the bat,” she explained.

Coco Gauff’s difficult 2025 US Open:

Gauff’s serving struggles had become increasingly visible throughout the 2025 season, during which she recorded more than 300 double faults.

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Shortly before the US Open, she began working with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan, who had previously helped Aryna Sabalenka overcome her own serving problems.

The changes were significant. Gauff adjusted elements of her stance, ball toss and overall motion, leaving her with little time to make the new technique feel natural before competing in New York.

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The pressure showed during the tournament. Gauff became visibly emotional during her second-round victory and later acknowledged the mental toll of trying to work through the changes under the spotlight.

She ultimately reached the fourth round, where Naomi Osaka defeated her in straight sets on Sept. 1, 2025. Nearly one year later, Gauff believes going through that uncomfortable period was worth it.

“I’m really happy that I was able to make that change with my serve and be able to, I don’t know, just be happy and normal on the court instead of stressing about something like I was last year,” she told PEOPLE.

A different Coco Gauff returns to New York:

The numbers are beginning to reflect that progress. Gauff’s double-fault rate has reportedly fallen from approximately 10 percent in 2025 to 7.9 percent in 2026. During this year’s North American hard-court swing, she has also averaged 5.3 double faults per match, a significant improvement from 9.8 during the same stretch last year.

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That development could prove particularly important at the US Open, a tournament already tied to one of the defining moments of Gauff’s career. She won her first Grand Slam singles title in New York in 2023, becoming a champion at just 19 years old.

Now a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, Gauff returns to Flushing Meadows as the world No. 4 with a game that continues to evolve.

Her changes haven’t only been technical. Gauff has also learned how to manage the mental demands that come with competing on tour.

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When things become difficult on the road, she told People that she will “usually journal or talk to a therapist to help me navigate it all.”

Gauff also prioritizes refueling between practices and has incorporated Naked Smoothies into her routine, particularly when her schedule leaves little time for a full breakfast.

“Believe it or not,” she said, life at home can actually be “more sporadic” than tournament weeks, when her days follow a structured practice schedule beginning around 7:30 or 8 a.m.

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This time last year, Gauff arrived in New York trying to fix one of the biggest vulnerabilities in her game while simultaneously chasing another Grand Slam title. 

Twelve months later, she is returning with something she didn’t have then: time spent trusting, testing and growing comfortable with the change. And after describing herself as stressed on court in 2025, simply feeling “happy and normal” may be one of the biggest signs of progress yet.