In a thrilling match at the Paris Games, Coco Gauff’s Olympic dreams were shattered by the talented Donna Vekic. The young American had her sights set on a medal, but Vekic’s strong performance proved to be too much for Gauff to handle.
Even before the match, doubts were raised about Gauff’s chances by none other than Rick Macci, the renowned coach who once worked with Serena Williams. Macci had warned of the challenges Gauff would face on her journey to success. He had said, “There’s a fine line between winning and losing. She loses first round at Wimbledon, okay, then in the hard courts she had a lot of Houdini escapes and she won a tournament. Then more Houdini escapes, close matches, wins a tournament.”
One of the glaring issues that plagued Gauff during her match against Vekic was her serve, a weakness that Macci had previously identified. He had made it clear that confidence was key for Gauff and that improvements were needed in her technique. Macci stated, “Confidence is a fleeting thing. She has a big swing, she has a severe grip which is okay but I want to rewire the whole thing.”
Despite the disappointment of her early exit from the Olympics, Macci continues to believe in Gauff’s potential. He has been a strong supporter of her talent and has faith in her future success. In fact, he boldly predicted back in February, “During an interview was asked about the future of the Delray Dart @CocoGauff. The 19-year-old has not even Scratched the SURFACE as I feel she will win a Slam on Every SURFACE.”
As Gauff reflects on her defeat and looks ahead to future tournaments, she can draw strength from the support and guidance of someone like Macci, who has seen the ups and downs of the tennis world and knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level. The loss at the Olympics may sting now, but it could be the motivation Gauff needs to come back stronger and achieve her dreams of glory on the tennis court.
