The top eight WTA stars head to Saudi Arabia to battle it out for the year-end title at the WTA Finals starting November 1, 2025. Last year, a young Coco Gauff stunned Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek in the group stages, Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals, and then Zheng Qinwen in the final to clinch the title.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova believes that Gauff can repeat the same this year as well, given that she banks on her confidence and experience on hard courts. However, the 18-time Grand Slam champion also revealed that she has another strength that extensively resembles Novak Djokovic.
The Serb’s backhand has been regarded as one of his strongest suits, including his impeccable serve returns and net play. Navratilova said she sees a lot of his backhand in Gauff and called it her ‘money shot’.
“She’s played nine hard-court finals and won them all. That’s crazy. One of those was last year in Riyadh, so look out if she gets rolling again. Her backhand is like Djokovic’s — maybe with even more power. It’s money.” (via WTA Tennis)
Navratilova appreciated Gauff’s hard work in improving her serve.
Coco Gauff continues her quest for a perfect serve
Coco Gauff hired biomechanics expert Gavin Macmillan, right before the US Open this year, to work on her serve. A central talking point in discussions of Gauff’s game is her serve, which has been a major hindrance in her campaigns in Cincinnati and Montreal this year. She also recorded a startling 430 double faults, which was the most out of all WTA players in the 2024 season.
However, the American seems to have found ease with her techniques at the moment, as she hoped her serve would become a ‘weapon’ after the Asian swing.
“I think now it’s just trusting it in those moments. But, you know, I’m still double-faulting more than I would like, but a lot less than at the Open or before the Open. So, yeah, I think for me, I want it to be a real weapon – and it is in some moments – but I think more consistently being the weapon,” Gauff said. (via Tennis365)
Gauff even won the Wuhan Open title, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final.