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Coco Gauff could win “double digit” Grand Slam titles and be a long-term world No 1 if she makes a change to her service motion, according to legendary coach Rick Macci.

The American star is already a two-time major singles champion, having triumphed at the 2023 US Open and the 2025 French Open.

Gauff, who has won 10 WTA Tour events overall, is currently at her career-high ranking of world No 2.

The 21-year-old is one of the best movers and defenders in the women’s game, while she is also renowned for her world-class backhand and mental toughness.

While Gauff’s powerful first serve can be a major weapon when firing, her second serve has long been considered a weakness.

She hit the most double faults among all WTA players in 2024 (430) and also leads the tour in this unwanted statistical category so far this season.

Gauff’s second serve troubles recently came to the fore at the Canadian Open in Montreal as she hit 43 double faults across her three matches against Danielle Collins, Veronika Kudermetova and Victoria Mboko.

She then committed eight double faults in her 6-3, 6-2 second round win over Wang Xinyu in Cincinnati.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Macci argued Gauff could become a dominant force with a more reliable serve.

“Think about it, her wide serve to the deuce court is one of the best in the world, but then in the same breath, we’re talking about she leads the WTA Tour in double faults. So there’s a disconnect,” assessed the American.

“Not that you couldn’t have a good first serve and a shaky second. Plus, her racket on her serve, the leg drive doesn’t initiate the racket at the right time and… but keeping her weight back longer with the platform and starting brand new, there’s no doubt that [with] myself and Dr. Gordon (an expert in Biomechanics), this could be solved immediately.

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“Then, if that changes, I think not only could Coco become No 1 – which she probably will anyways – I think she could stay there for a long time, because her backbone is better than her backhand and she’s an Olympic sprinter with a racket in her hand.

“She’s just such a great competitor, she checks all these other boxes. But when you’re out there double faulting eight, 10, 12 times, or whatever, and you’re still winning, how good could you be when you’re only hitting a couple?

“I mean that’s like crazy. I mean, your mind has to be made of granite. I mean, a lot of girls would disappear into outer space. So I just have so much respect for Coco.

“But to be great, it’s a package, and if this serve could be modified, I have no doubt where she could end up – double digits (Grand Slams) is around the corner for Coco.”

As well as Serena and Venus Williams, Macci has coached Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick, Mary Pierce, Anastasia Myskina and Sofia Kenin.

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Jannik Sinner has revealed why he rehired Umberto Ferrara after previously sacking the fitness trainer in the aftermath of his failed doping tests.

On July 23, it was announced that Ferrara had made a surprise return to Sinner’s team just over a week after he won Wimbledon.

“The decision has been made in alignment with Jannik’s management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and US Open,” a statement from Sinner’s team read.

“Umberto has played an important role in Jannik’s development to date, and his return reflects a renewed focus on continuity and performance at the highest level.”

Sinner made the decision less than a month after he fired fitness trainer Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio on the eve of Wimbledon. Panichi and Badio previously spent long spells working with Novak Djokovic.

The world No 1 fired both Ferrara and his former physio Giacomi Naldi ahead of the 2024 US Open after it was revealed he had failed two doping tests in March last year.

In his pre-tournament press conference at the 2025 Cincinnati Open, Sinner refused to offer any further details when asked about his choice to reappoint Ferrara.

“Yeah, I think we said it all, everything in the statement,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said. “I’m very happy to be here and play again this tournament.”

The Italian was asked about the topic again after his quarter-final win over Felix Auger-Aliassime in Cincinnati, and this time he explained Ferrara’s return.

“It was a different situation. Now everything is different. I felt like, at this point, I needed someone who knew my body better,” the 23-year-old said.

“We worked together for about two years before this break. His work has brought me a lot of benefits.

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“We worked on every area of my body: mobility, stability, and even my body’s endurance has improved. I think he did a great job.

“I also got along well with Marco [Panichi], but maybe he wasn’t the best choice. I’ve always had a good feeling about Umberto.”

Ahead of the 2024 US Open, Sinner revealed he had lost confidence in Naldi and Ferrara as he addressed their departures.

“I want to start with [saying] that they have been a huge part of my career,” Sinner said.

“We made an incredible job, bringing a lot of success and then having a great team behind me. Now, because of these mistakes, I’m not feeling that confident to continue with them.

“I was struggling a lot in the last months. Now I was waiting for the result, and now I just need some clean air.”

It was revealed in August 2024 that Sinner had twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024 — during and after the Indian Wells Masters.

The world No 1 initially avoided a ban as The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that an independent tribunal ruled he bore “no fault or negligence.”

Sinner later served a ban from February 9 to May 4 after settling his case with the World Anti-Doping Agency – which had planned to appeal the ITIA’s ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

READ NEXT: Legendary coach breaks down how Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner are ‘changing the game’

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Venus Williams has been handed a wildcard to compete at this year’s US Open, but that decision should be greeted with some scepticism.

We need to start this analysis by acknowledging the status of Williams as one of the all-time greats of the women’s game, with the impact she has made stretching well beyond the seven Grand Slam singles titles she has won.

Two of those wins came at the US Open in 2000 and 2001, with the last of those successes coming 24 years ago.

That time span alone will raise questions over whether 45-year-old Williams should still be given a free pass to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam singles event, even though she has played just four singles matches since a crushing 6-1, 6-1 defeat against Greet Minnen at last year’s US Open.

The manner of that defeat suggested Williams was no longer competitive at the highest level of the sport and while she did secure first WTA Tour win in almost two years when she beat Peyton Stearns in Washington last month, the presence of this icon in the draw appears to be based more on sentiment than merit.

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Wild cards are given out to former champions and legends of the sport who may need some assistance to get into a draw as they battle back from injury or a time away from the sport, yet that is not the story for Williams.

She has been a part-time tennis player for some time and while her presence could allow US Open organisers to put her on a show court for what may be her last appearance, a rising star of the game has been denied a chance to play at Flushing Meadows to facilitate another appearance from Venus.

Along with her sister Serena, Williams is a giant of the game who has inspired so many young girls to pick up a racket over the last couple of decades, but her desire to extend her career will force a junior hopeful to play in qualifying rather than playing in the main draw at the US Open.

This reality may not sit well with Williams, after she suggested she wanted her legacy to be an inspiration to all the players following in her footsteps.

“As a young person, I wanted to play the game, be a champion,” she said last month. “I loved the game so much, I didn’t realise that it would be so much bigger than myself.

“Seeing these young women doing positive things with their life, winning tournaments, inspiring the next generation, too, it’s like I could have never imagined that. So it’s like icing on the cake, cherries on top with the nuts and all the fixings. It’s beautiful.”

Williams will not be a contender to mount any kind of run at the US Open and that is no surprise at the age of 45, but she will set a record at the US Open as she will be the oldest singles entrant at the tournament since Renee Richards played there at the age of 47 in 1981.

If she turns this appearance at the US Open into a farewell match that will allow the tennis world to bid her a fond farewell, it may be a moment we can all savour.

Yet that scenario has not been promoted by tournament organisers, meaning a prized Grand Slam spot is being taken by a player who may not be competitive in the heat of a Grand Slam battle.

Fellow Americans Clervie Ngounoue, Julieta Pareja, Caty McNally, Valerie Glozman and Alyssa Ahn will also receive singles main draw wild cards, as well as France’s Caroline Garcia, a 2022 semi-finalist, and Australian Talia Gibson.

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The post Is Venus Williams halting the next generation by exploiting her remarkable legacy? appeared first on Tennis365.

Roger Federer’s former coach Ivan Ljubicic has made a telling comment about Novak Djokovic’s remarkable longevity.

Djokovic, who turned 38 in May, is ranked seventh in the world and remains a force at the top of the sport.

The Serbian was a semi-finalist at the three Grand Slams played so far this season and he will arguably be the third favourite at the US Open after Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic beat Alcaraz at the Australian Open in January and Alexander Zverev at the French Open in June.

While Djokovic has not found the same consistency outside the majors in 2025, he won his 100th ATP singles title in Geneva in May and was a runner-up at the Miami Masters in March.

In 2024, Djokovic claimed his maiden gold medal at the Paris Olympics and was a runner-up at Wimbledon — both after turning 37. He won his 24th and most recent Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, when he was 36.

On Twitter, tennis writer Christopher Clarey pointed out that Djokovic is nine years older than any other player in the top 20 of the ATP Rankings. The next-youngest player in the current top 20 is 29-year-old Karen Khachanov.

In reply to Clarey’s post, Ljubicic argued Djokovic’s level in his late thirties will not be replicated by other players.

“Once he retires, we will go back to normality, where humans will not be able to be competitive at highest level after certain age,” wrote Ljubicic.

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Ljubicic coached Djokovic’s great rival Federer from 2016 until his retirement in 2022, helping the Swiss legend win three of his 20 Grand Slam titles.

The Croatian won 10 ATP Tour singles titles and reached a career-high ranking of world No 3 during an illustrious playing career spanning from 1998 to 2012. Ljubicic faced Djokovic nine times, with the Serbian winning seven of their meetings.

In 2023, Ljubicic gave his opinion on whether Djokovic is the greatest player of all time.

“I think Novak is already the most successful. But the terminology ‘greatest’ is ungrateful and subjective,” he told Sport Klub.

“That’s great – everyone has their greatest, and let the debate begin. If we look at other sports, is there a GOAT in football… In basketball, [Michael] Jordan is the GOAT, but he didn’t win the most.

“It’s someone who touched you the most – for a third of the world it’s Federer, for a third of the world it’s Nadal, for a third of the world, for a third it’s Novak.”

READ NEXT: How Novak Djokovic fared at the US Open the previous times he missed Cincinnati

The post Roger Federer’s ex-coach argues Novak Djokovic’s longevity will not be replicated appeared first on Tennis365.

The US Open mixed doubles event has already seen some big-name withdrawals and more may follow after a tight turnaround at the conclusion of this week’s marquee tournament in Cincinnati.

The final big event before the last Grand Slam of the year has a Monday finish next week, as the extended format of ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments sees events spread over almost two weeks.

With this week’s tournament starting in a mid-week slot as it followed extended men’s and women’s events in Canada, the traditional weekend finish for tennis tournaments has been ripped up for the two big warm-up events ahead of the US Open.

While the flight to New York is not taxing for tennis players who are used to extensive travelling, the finalists in Cincinnati will have a decision to make if they play a tough final on Monday and are then expected to be at Flushing Meadows to take part in the new-look mixed doubles event that gets underway next Wednesday.

Carlos Alcaraz is due to play alongside Emma Raducanu in that tournament, while Jannik Sinner is scheduled to compete with America’s Emma Navarro.

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Yet if we are treated to another Alcaraz vs Sinner epic in the Cincinnati Masters final on Monday, neither player may have the appetite to play in mixed doubles the following day in New York.

If rain delays the final in Cincinnati, that would further complicate the issue and may end the debate over whether the top two players in the men’s game will play in the mixed doubles at the US Open.

Iga Swiatek is also progressing in Cincinnati and could face a quick turnaround if she continues her run, with Coco Gauff among those opting against playing in the lucrative mixed doubles event as she has prioritised her preparation for the US Open singles, which gets underway the following weekend.

“For me, it was just because I know the free week of the US Open is already packed for me, for sponsor things, and it was just like a whole other thing. And I’m very competitive; if I were to lose, I would not be happy,” the two-time Grand Slam winner revealed. “So, I didn’t want to waste mental energy on that.

“Then on top of the sponsor stuff, the pre-week, and then knowing that this finished on Monday and potentially having to play on Tuesday. Well, you would have to play on a Tuesday. So I just knew it wasn’t going to work out for me, scheduling-wise.

“It’s just that I plan my sponsor weeks literally like a year out, sometimes a year and a half out. And when this whole thing was coming up, I was already booked and busy.”

Respected coach of Wimbledon doubles champion Julian Cash told Tennis365 last month that he expected plenty of big-name withdrawals from the US Open mixed doubles, with Barry Fulcher telling this website that the format of the competition means it should not come with a Grand Slam title being handed to the winners.

“This exhibition event will be great fun, but it is not a Grand Slam and it shouldn’t be viewed as such,” Fulcher told Tennis365.

“It’s not just about the prize money and more about removing a mixed doubles Grand Slam opportunity.

“My own personal view, it is all just posturing at the moment and I will be fascinated to see how many of those 16 pairings that were announced a few weeks ago will turn up and play.

“I’d be very, very surprised if a lot of those pairs end up taking to the court and the only reason they would release that list is to get everyone talking about it.

“It’s almost like they have put their names down, but there is no obligation to play.

“For me, the best doubles pairing on that list they released is Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and it will be interesting to see if some doubles players who end up playing if the singles players drop out.

“I’m a fan of innovation and trying to bring new things into tennis, but I don’t agree with calling it a Grand Slam event.”

The eight teams in the field of the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship via direct entry are:

Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner

Paula Badosa and Jack Draper

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud

Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz

Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune

Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev

Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul

Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev

In addition, six teams received wild cards into the field:

Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz

Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe

Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic

Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori

Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka

READ NEXT: Legendary coach breaks down how Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner are ‘changing the game’

The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner may be forced to pull out of the US Open mixed doubles appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz rated his fourth round win over Luca Nardi as his best display of the Cincinnati Masters so far, but the match also featured a dispute involving the Spanish star.

The five-time major champion defeated world No 98 Nardi 6-1, 6-4 to progress to the quarter-finals in Mason, Ohio.

During the match, Alcaraz was irked by a request made by chair umpire Greg Allensworth.

Allenworth asked Alcaraz to cover the Evian logo on his water bottle, but the 22-year-old — who is sponsored by Evian — refused.

Here is a transcript of the exchange.

Allensworth: “This is what we’ve been told because of the logos and the sponsors.”

here he goes https://t.co/pKmle9keFG pic.twitter.com/4DJ3jtst37

— f (@fvaeey) August 14, 2025

Alcaraz: “Yeah, but it wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t my fault. Why it should be covered (the water bottle)… because it wasn’t my fault.”

Allensworth: “Yeah, but in all honesty, I would have had you cover it up anyway.”

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Alcaraz: “It wasn’t my fault, why I have to cover it if it wasn’t my fault?”

Allensworth: “It’s my fault because I didn’t touch it sooner.”

Alcaraz: “Yeah, so because it’s your fault I have to cover it? You know, it doesn’t work like this. It was your fault, it’s always your fault and then I have to pay for that because of your fault…”

Allensworth: “We have to get going now.”

Alcaraz: “No, I’m not going to cover it.”

What did Alcaraz say after the match?

In his on-court interview, Alcaraz said: “I think this match was the best so far for me in this tournament.

“At the beginning of the tournament, I just really wanted to get better every day, after every practice and every match.

“I think I’m doing it, which I’m really proud about. I’m just really happy with the way I felt the ball today and the way that I moved.”

Who will Alcaraz play next?

The world No 2 will take on 11th-ranked Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals after the 27-year-old Russian cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 fourth round win against Francisco Comesana.

Alcaraz holds a 3-1 head-to-head record against Rublev, having prevailed in four sets in the pair’s most recent clash in the last 16 at Wimbledon last month.

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The post Watch: Carlos Alcaraz’s dispute with umpire in Cincinnati: ‘It’s always your fault and then I have to pay’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Acclaimed tennis coach Rick Macci has analysed Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s impact on tennis and revealed how the dominant duo are “changing the game.”

Sinner and Alcaraz have established a Grand Slam duopoly by winning the last seven Grand Slam titles between them since the start of 2024, with the former securing four and the latter claiming three.

Alcaraz, 22, has won five majors in total (two Wimbledon titles, two French Open titles and one US Open), while Sinner, 23, has collected four (two Australian Open titles, one US Open title and one Wimbledon title).

The pair faced off in the final of a Grand Slam for the first time at the 2025 French Open, with Alcaraz triumphing in five sets after an epic five hours and 29 minutes.

Sinner took his revenge with a four-set win over his Spanish rival in the Wimbledon championship match last month. The overall head-to-head is 8-5 in Alcaraz’s favour.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Macci assessed that Alcaraz and Sinner are changing the sport in a different way to the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

“We’re seeing something special in real time, the game is so much different because of the rackets, because of the strings, because of the athlete, the speed of the ball,” said the American.

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“This is something like no other and they’re changing the game. Sinner’s changing the game on how consistently you hit the ball with quality. And then Alcaraz, how complete… okay, coaches should teach young kids the completeness and obviously the drop shot.

“But they’re changing the game. In some subtle ways, the Big Three did that, but not like these guys. I mean Alcaraz is changing the way you teach the game.

“Even the mechanics, because we’re heavy into the biomechanics (at Macci’s academy), the ATP forehand is modified since I first did this like 15 years ago and explained what was going on out there — there’s all kinds of adaptations and modifications that the Next Gen is bringing with how to get maximum racket head speed and more spin.

“It’s not just the technology, there’s certain ways that they’re figuring out on the fly.”

Sinner and Alcaraz could meet in the final of the Cincinnati Masters, where they are seeded first and second respectively.

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Carlos Alcaraz is on the brink of a major prize money breakthrough, and he is set to achieve it quicker than anyone in tennis history.

Alcaraz’s rise to the top of tennis has been meteoric, with his 21 ATP Tour titles and five Grand Slam wins securing his place among the all-time greats of tennis at the tender age of 22.

With prize money rising at a rapid rate in tennis, Alcaraz and his big rival Jannik Sinner are already among the big earners in the history of men’s tennis, even though they are only at the start of what looks set to be highly lucrative careers.

Now Alcaraz is closing in on another huge financial milestone, as he is close to taking his career prize money past $50million.

The Spaniard’s prize money at Wimbledon took his total to $47,362,248 and he will add to that with his earnings from the Cincinnati Masters.

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He will then challenge for the biggest ever prize money on offer in a Grand Slam when he looks to win his second title at the US Open and claim a huge $5million in prize money.

This will be even more than the $4,881,500 Sinner collected when he won the 2024 ATP Finals, which is the biggest prize money any player has earned so far.

The overall prize money pool for the US Open has risen to an eye-watering $90m for 2025, up 20% on the $75m available in 2024.

Men’s and women’s singles runner-up prize money has, much like the champion’s haul, increased by 39%, with beaten finalists set to receive $2.5m in winnings.

Alcaraz has always insisted he is not motivated by money, but he did concede his appearance at last year’s Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia was motivated by the massive money on offer for the exhibition.

“I love playing tennis. You know, most of the time I don’t think about the money,” said Alcaraz.

“I just play for love or for fun. But you have to be realistic. You have to think that you want to earn money, you know, and that’s it.

“The money in Saudi Arabia is the most, highest prize money ever in history, so that was a good motivation, at least for me.”

Alcaraz’s staggering prize money earnings are topped up by an increasingly lucrative range of sponsors, with Nike, Rolex, BMW, Babolat, Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton long-standing partners for the Spaniard.

He was recently unveiled as an Evian ambassador, as he joined Britain’s Emma Raducanu among their collection of athletes.

Alcaraz and Sinner still have a long way to go before they become the biggest earners in tennis history, with Novak Djokovic way out in front with $188,934,053 in career prize money.

If he continues to play the game for a couple more years and reaches the back end of Grand Slam tournaments during that period, Djokovic could become the first player to break through the $200million barrier in prize money.

Yet Alcaraz and Sinner may be better placed to reach that mark first, as if they continue to win at the rate they have managed over the last couple of years for another decade, they will become the two biggest-earning tennis players of all-time.

1. Novak Djokovic, $188,934,053
2. Rafael Nadal $134,946,100
3. Roger Federer $130,594
4. Andy Murray $64,687,542
5. Alexander Zverev $54,106,074
6. Carlos Alcaraz $47,362,248
7. Daniil Medvedev $46,901,049
8. Jannik Sinner $45,682,097
9. Pete Sampras $43,280,489
10. Stan Wawrinka $37,634,708

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Two former American ATP stars have become the latest tennis figures to weigh in on Naomi Osaka’s speech after losing the Canadian Open final.

Osaka was beaten 6-2, 4-6, 1-6 by 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko in the Montreal WTA 1000 title match last week.

The four-time Grand Slam champion drew controversy after failing to mention Mboko in her brief speech during the trophy ceremony.

“Thanks, I guess. I don’t really want to take up too much time,” said a visibly emotional Osaka.

“So, I’ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, thank you to the ball kids, thank you to the organisers, and all the volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night.”

The Japanese star later apologised to Mboko for forgetting to congratulate her.

“Thanks, Montreal, it’s been a really great run,” Osaka wrote in a post on Instagram Threads.

“I also want to say sorry and congratulations to Victoria. You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead! I realise I didn’t congratulate you on the court.

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“Honestly, I was in a daze and I was so focused on not having the same speech as IW 2018 finals or the Jenny/Jennifer situation that I tried to make my speech as short as possible. Thanks everyone for the week, see you in NY.”

Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast with fellow retired American star Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey did not hold back when discussing Osaka‘s speech.

“Can Osaka not just act like an adult for five minutes? Just give a nice speech, fake it for a minute and then move on to the locker room. It drives me nuts,” the former world No 11 said.

“She is also going to make $30 million, you can’t just shy away from that. Give a decent speech, congratulate your opponent.

“But having said that, great week for Osaka. She hasn’t been playing great there has been little signs here and there but to make a final, she can go to the US Open now and make a run to the semis, finals or maybe win it.”

Johnson agreed with Querrey, saying: “It drives me nuts too. Look, as athletes you take the good with the bad. You can’t just take praise when you are playing well.

“I get it’s a tough moment, we had [Aryna] Sabalenka do the same, and we have seen it on the men’s side too.

“But I don’t think [Aryna] Sabalenka deserves what she got after the French Open talking about that loss, because she was critical of her own game and didn’t thank Coco [Gauff].

“In a way, it’s like you get to the biggest stage and you lose and you talk to the press 10 minutes later, you haven’t had time to process it and your mind is not that clear.

“Nobody on their regular day job is getting talked about like ‘did you have a bad day at the office?’. Sometimes it is hard and she is going to figure it out.

“But at least give an honest answer and thank your opponent. Do these things and move on. I know it’s hard to do, but as an athlete, that is your job.”

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