Coco Guff Advances in Rome But Footwork Concerns Grow Ahead of French Open Defense
Coco Gauff booked her place in the Italian Open Round of 16 with a hard-fought 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 victory over Solana Sierra on Saturday, but the defending French Open champion’s performance has once again sparked debate about a potential new weakness in her game. After dropping the first set and needing to rally against a player ranked 68 places below her, Gauff now prepares to face Iva Jovic in a match that oddsmakers expect to be close.
Fans and analysts have long pointed to Gauff’s serve and forehand as areas needing improvement. However, after her latest win in Rome, a more fundamental issue has emerged: her footwork. Social media lit up with clips and comments criticizing the American’s movement on the clay, with one fan posting, “Just shockingly poor footwork for a player of her calibre. I’ll die on the hill that of all the problems in her game that’s the biggest one. It’s hard to believe it hasn’t been fixed all these years.”
Others linked the footwork directly to Gauff’s forehand struggles. “She often hits on the back foot or falling to the side,” one commenter noted, while another added, “The leg in the air, she’s almost always off balance on her forehand, no wonder she can’t get good racket head speed.” The discussion reflects growing unease among Gauff’s supporters as the clay season heads toward Roland Garros.
Stakes High for Gauff as French Open Title Defense Approaches
Gauff’s Difficult 2026 Clay Season
Gauff enters the Italian Open as the defending champion at Roland Garros, having defeated Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s final. But her 2026 clay-court season has fallen well short of that standard. Last year, she reached the finals of both Stuttgart and Madrid before winning the French Open. This year, she lost in the quarterfinals in Stuttgart and the fourth round in Madrid, and her current 4-2 record on clay is a significant drop from the 18-3 she posted in 2025.
Her match against Sierra was indicative of the larger issues. Gauff recorded just one ace against five double faults, won only 66% of her first-serve points, and required a second-set bagel to reset the match. As one tennishead.net analysis noted, “Gauff looks a shell of the player she was a year ago, and was, in all honesty, fortunate to beat Sierra in the third round.”
Sabalenka Watching Closely
For Aryna Sabalenka, who lost to Gauff in last year’s French Open final, Gauff’s struggles are an encouraging sign. Sabalenka was knocked out of Rome earlier in the tournament, but the world No. 1 remains a favorite for Roland Garros. If Gauff’s form doesn’t improve quickly, her title defense could end much earlier than expected.
What Gauff’s Form Means for the WTA and the French Open
Can Gauff Turn It Around?
Gauff has built a reputation for finding ways to win even when she isn’t playing her best. That resilience was on display against Sierra, and it’s a trait that has carried her to a US Open title and a French Open crown. However, the consistency of her technical issues suggests this is not a temporary slump.
“It’s hard to change the way you have been moving all your life…and judging from the fact she refuses to change her forehand (in my opinion easier to change), she will never change her footwork,” one fan wrote, summing up the skepticism that many now share. The footwork problem, if not addressed, could prevent Gauff from generating the racket head speed and balance needed to dominate on clay.
Doubles as a Bright Spot
Amid the singles concerns, Gauff has found a positive distraction in doubles. She announced she is teaming up again with Caty McNally at the Italian Open, their first partnership in three years. “This is our first time playing in a long time. Really, I always loved Caty, so it was just that we were in different places … I’m really excited, looking forward to playing with Caty, she’s one of my good friends,” Gauff told the Tennis Channel. The pair has won three WTA doubles titles together, including the 2021 Emilia-Romagna Open on clay. Doubles may provide Gauff with match reps and confidence as she tries to recalibrate her singles game.
Broader Implications for the WTA
Gauff’s struggles also have implications for the WTA landscape. With Sabalenka already eliminated in Rome and Iga Swiatek finding her form, the clay season remains open. If Gauff cannot fix her footwork and forehand issues, a new generation of players—including the likes of Mirra Andreeva, Linda Noskova, and Iva Jovic—could seize opportunities at the highest level. For now, the tennis world watches to see if Gauff can adjust before she steps onto Philippe Chatrier in defense of her title.
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