By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, January 13, 2026Photo credit score: Antoine Couvercelle/ROLEX
Coco Gauff continues to construct her sport.
The reigning Roland Garros champion already owns the blueprint to assemble one other deep run on the Australian, ESPN analyst Christopher Eubanks advised Tennis Now.
World No. 3 Gauff, arguably the quickest lady within the sport, gained each of her main titles counting on her pace, stamina, daring backhand and courtroom sense.
But, in the event you watched Gauff play blended doubles with compatriot Christian Harrison on the United Cup final week, you then noticed her show tremendous front-court expertise, together with a robust smash and stable volleys.
So what model ought to the 21-year-old Gauff make use of in her purpose to succeed in a maiden Australian Open remaining this month?
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Ought to the Delray Seashore-baseliner play the counterpunching, conservative sport she’s displayed successful two Grand Slam titles and the WTA Finals?
Or ought to Gauff assert her all-court acumen and assault opponents a bit extra in Melbourne Park?
We put that query to ESPN analysts Christopher Eubanks and Patrick McEnroe in a Zoom name in the present day to advertise the community’s AO protection.
Eubanks, an excellent buddy and someday hitting companion of Gauff, mentioned she confirmed the suitable reply final week. Eubanks mentioned Gauff ought to play the AO imposing the stylistic selection she used to defeat former No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-2 on the United Cup in Sydney final weekend.
“To your level, she will do some little bit of all the things. She’s so good at competing and determining how she must play on the day so as to win a match,” Eubanks advised Tennis Now. “However I actually like the best way she performed in opposition to Iga. She made a excessive share of first serves.
“She used a variety of selection, used some gradual cutters, after which often would pop one, so it stored Iga off steadiness, and it additionally stored her first serve share excessive, so she didn’t need to hit a variety of second serves, so I cherished that.”
Scoring her fourth consecutive straight-sets win over No. 2 Swiatek, Gauff typically deployed an unsettling baseline combine. Gauff hit some excessive, heavy topspin forehands then stepped contained in the baseline at instances to laser flatter two-handed backhands to maintain Swiatek off steadiness.
Whereas Gauff’s forehand will not be practically as harmful as her slashing backhand strikes, Eubanks mentioned the drastically totally different heights and spins of these disparate strokes can impose a confounding mixture for even elite opponents.
“From the bottom she was doing an excellent job of managing her forehand, elevating it up out of the strike zone after which being aggressive on her backhand,” Eubanks advised Tennis Now. “So it’s like somewhat little bit of: she gave you one look on the forehand aspect, completely totally different look on the backhand aspect, after which when you get her transferring, she’s one of the best mover within the girls’s sport she defends so effectively. So she observed that she has that to her bag, as effectively.”
Eubanks mentioned there’s a easy tactical strategy Gauff can apply in Melbourne Park: Handle the forehand by hitting it excessive and out of the opponent’s zone then mash the backhand with flat fury when it’s in her strike zone.
“I like her being aggressive on the backhand when it’s there. If it’s contained in the courtroom and he or she desires to lean into it, she hardly misses it,” Eubanks mentioned. “I feel she ought to go after that backhand as a lot as doable, handle the forehand in the event you’re enjoying somebody who desires to attempt to play it, which most gamers are going to play it to her forehand most of the time. Handle it, get some elevation on it, after which simply get one out of the strike zone and search for your alternatives to be aggressive.
“I don’t assume she must power her method to be aggressive. I feel she’ll get the balls if she makes use of, form of like Patrick says, endurance, makes use of her legs, performs somewhat little bit of selection, after which when the ball is there to be aggressive, go forward and be aggressive.
“That’s the best way that I want to see her play. That’s the best way she performed in opposition to Iga and the best way she beat her, and I assumed it was a textbook match as to how she ought to play.”
Gauff has gained 9 of her final 11 Australian Open matches.
Two years in the past, Gauff registered her finest AO consequence reaching the semifinals the place she misplaced to eventual-champion Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(2), 6-4. Final yr, Gauff made a run to the quarterfinals bowing to Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-4.
McEnroe says Gauff ought to alter her ways primarily based on the opponent throughout the online. Former U.S. Davis Cup captain McEnroe mentioned if he have been teaching Gauff, he’d advise her to undertake deeper courtroom positioning to present herself extra time to generate the larger backswing she has on the forehand.
Via 5 singles matches this month, Gauff has served 65 p.c with 5 aces in opposition to 28 double faults. Clearly, she’d like to scale back the double faults and McEnroe says sustaining the upper first-serve share is important for 2 years: It helps Gauff set up rhythm in her serve video games and diminishes the probabilities of her having to play a defensive shot after the serve which might in flip impose strain and mounting double faults.
“She will serve huge however that may get her into bother together with her serve, and that’s why I mentioned final yr in the course of the French, I used to be like, simply put the serve in. Don’t attempt to serve huge,” McEnroe advised Tennis Now. “So she’s received to cope with that, which is difficult, as a result of then she will counterpunch after which she will additionally come ahead.
“It’s form of like discovering that proper steadiness. Relying on who she’s enjoying, additionally, I feel components into that. She’s received an excellent downside. She’s received so many weapons in her sport each defensively and offensively, so it’s actually about discovering that blend that she wants.
“However I feel that when she performs, offers herself somewhat extra space and somewhat extra time, she’s actually robust to beat as a result of she will cowl the courtroom so effectively. So if I have been in her camp, I’d be like — I truly had advised her to be somewhat extra conservative at instances. I do know she desires to be aggressive. She desires to serve huge. However I’m unsure tactically that’s the easiest way for her to play.”
Finally, Gauff’s sport is extra expansive than she generally exhibits, however at 21 she’s nonetheless evolving and has already mastered two majors.
“She’s received a variety of instruments within the toolbox, and that’s a reasonably good factor to have. That’s why she gained two majors already.” McEnroe mentioned.
In all, ESPN touts it’ll current “greater than 260 hours of dwell protection” from Melbourne Park.
MORE: ESPN on Brad Gilbert and Pam Shriver Future
Unique AO protection begins on Saturday, January seventeenth, with first spherical motion starting dwell at 7 p.m. on the ESPN App and on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. New in 2026, match protection continues by means of the early rounds beginning in primetime and ending at 7 a.m.
