TENNIS: Gauff armed with new mindset and more consistent serve in quest for second French Open title

Coco Gauff is leaving behind the mental pressure of being a defending champion, saying she’s done with the constant focus on "defend, defend" as she aims to retain her French Open title.

With Aryna Sabalenka entering the tournament under an injury cloud and Iga Swiatek no longer as dominant on clay, Gauff is considered one of the favorites to win in Paris once again.

The world number four, who defeated Sabalenka in last year’s Roland Garros final to claim her second Grand Slam title, said she learned an important lesson from her previous major defense when she exited the 2024 U.S. Open in the fourth round.

“I realize that defending means nothing in a way. Each year is a new opportunity and a new chance for anyone to win. Obviously, I hope it’s me,” Gauff told reporters at this month’s Italian Open.

“I don’t really look at it as defending anymore. I guess at the U.S. Open I was like, ‘I need to defend, defend.’ Now I say, ‘It’s just another tournament.’ I won it last year. I’ll try again this year. I’m not going to be able to defend every year. I’m not Rafa (Nadal). Maybe one day!”

Growing Confidence on Serve

Gauff’s French Open preparations have been challenging. She battled a virus and suffered a fourth-round loss in Madrid before bouncing back to reach her second consecutive Italian Open final.

In the final, she committed seven double faults and was defeated by Elina Svitolina. However, she believes she has finally addressed her serve issues, which previously placed her at the top of the WTA Tour’s double fault list in 2024 and 2025. Gauff enlisted biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan last year to improve her serve, and the results are starting to show.

Although she again appears near the top for double faults in 2026, she committed only one in each of her wins over Sorana Cirstea and Iva Jovic in Rome, a sign of newfound stability in her second serve.

“It’s been an up-and-down process. I obviously don’t want to jinx anything, but I think we found the recipe for making it more consistent,” Gauff said.

“Now it’s about making it more of a weapon, serving smarter. My toss is more consistent, my weight distribution feels better, and the confidence in my serve is a lot higher.”

If Gauff can maintain this consistency, she could be well on her way to a third Grand Slam title.

-Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters