Coco Gauff’s US Open Struggles Spark Major Worry Among Fans: ‘She’s in a Lose-Lose Situation’

“I just wanna get better. I’m obsessed with the process of getting better,” Coco Gauff had made the open declaration in the presser just before the 2025 US Open. Her serve has been downright problematic, which she has tried to address. And things have gotten better, although just a little, one would say. And in her 2nd-round match against Donna Vekic, the troubles crept up on the 21-year-old American like a silent predator, which she was not ready for at all.

The entire tennis community saw Coco Gauff’s raw emotions come to the surface as her serve once again let her down. Now, after the 2nd round match, one X user, LeDerius, came online to talk about the tennis star herself. His tweet read, “This hurts me so much Coco is stressed out! The pressure she’s under is hitting her so hard and she’s still trying to compete out there. She started crying after winning the 1st set. Goodness, I just hate this for her.”

As we saw at the start of this post, Coco Gauff is the type of player who puts the pressure on herself to be good. That kind of elite mentality led her to be a Grand Slam winner at 19. But, is this pushing too hard? Serving at 4-3 ahead, the American had things under control until the break of serve would peg her back to 4-4. And it was as overwhelming as it could get. She buried her face into the towels, but the tears of dejection and failure that were flowing were well evident. Oh, this sport can be so cruel sometimes!

This hurts me so much Coco is stressed out! The pressure she’s under is hitting her so hard and she’s still trying to compete out there. She started crying after winning the 1st set. Goodness, I just hate this for her.

— LeDerius (@LeDerius) August 29, 2025

 

And Gauff’s problems persisted until a medical break from her opponent allowed her to regroup. What was she doing while Vekic got treated? The youngster was back on the grind, practicing her serve. Which eventually helped her regroup. And she persevered in the test of nerves, clinching the tiebreak 7-5. But it was a toll. Even going back to her seat for the break meant the emotions flooding her mind.

She clearly still has work to do with her new coach. And the path to glory will only get harder and more challenging as fate becomes less forgiving. But she won’t be alone in this. The fans may not be in her shoes, but they are with her in her fight.

Worried tennis fans come to Coco Gauff’s support

It was her decision to bring in MacMillan and take on the US Open challenge. But she won’t be able to go from 16 double faults at the Cincinnati Open to flawless serving in just 2 weeks. It will take time. And the more she is in the spotlight, her serve will be analyzed, debated, and put under the microscope. Each mistake will bring more questions that Coco Gauff will have to face. One fan said, “I see this and quickly get reminded that she’s only 21”.

She comes from a proud sporting family who are not in this for just themselves. Maybe that’s why Coco Gauff thought she owed it to her fans and her community to step on her home soil and fight for the biggest prize America has to offer. And she will keep fighting. One fan tweeted, “I’m crying because I think she wants everything to work so badly, and she is psyching herself out”.

One tennis fan thought it was impractical to invite so much heat onto herself. Obviously, being an American, she would be carrying the hopes of an entire nation. But not being at her perfect best makes it a suicide mission. The fan understood the hurt she was enduring. The tweet read, “Me too maybe hiring Gavin to re-work her serve wasn’t a good idea. I understand that he would’ve been snapped up asap! But they could’ve taken time off tour and re-worked it. She would’ve lost points and rankings but maybe it would’ve been better long term?”

August 28, 2025, Flushing Meadows, New York, USA: Coco Gauff gets emotional after winning her match against Donna Vekic on Day 5 of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Thursday August 28, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. JAVIER ROJAS/PI Flushing Meadows USA – ZUMAp124 20250828_zaa_p124_091 Copyright: xJavierxRojasx

Another fan recalled that she had been under duress all this time, even when she was challenging herself to do better. This fan wrote, “I remember you said something like she’s going through some tough time in her press conference before the first match”. He is not wrong. As she spoke in the presser about becoming a better tennis player, Gauff also mentioned how it becomes an unhealthy chase. “Sometimes maybe it hurts because I get obsessed with it too much. “

This rat race can bring bad outcomes, as one fan pointed out. “The spotlights and expectations on one side, and the insults and doubts on the other, make for an explosive cocktail that few can handle. She’s in a lose-lose situation unless she dismantles her opponent. A very unhealthy dynamic for her mental balance”.

It’s not like she is not working hard. She is giving everything that her coach is asking for. And the results will show. But she could have taken it slow, taken a break. But as of now, Coco Gauff will have to do one thing. Be forgiving of herself. And prepare for anything the outside can throw at her.

Against World No. 28 Magdalena Frech, her serve will again go on trial. In fact, every match will be a test of her improvement. Maybe the world will be ok with her failing. Can she accept that? To follow everything about the 2025 US Open, head to EssentiallySports’ live blog!

 

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