CoCo Vandeweghe

CoCo Vandeweghe is an American tennis player who has achieved a lot of success in the women's game owing to her powerful serve and big forehand.

Vandeweghe has followed in the footsteps of Venus and Serena Williams by using an attack-oriented game to outhit many of her opponents. She has made deep runs at several Grand Slams already, and is expected to continue challenging for the big titles in the next few years.

Best finish at each of the four Grand Slams:

Australian Open: Semifinalist (2017)

French Open: 2nd Round (2014, 2016, 2018)

Wimbledon: Quarterfinalist (2015, 2017)

US Open: Semifinalist (2017)

Highest Ranking: No. 10

Style of play

Vandeweghe is an aggressive all-court player who likes to take the attack to her opponents. Starting with the serve and ending with the forehand, Vandeweghe's game is predicated on finishing points as quickly as possible.

Vandeweghe's groundstrokes are flat and quick, but she also uses the backhand slice when pushed wide. She approaches the net whenever she manages to put her opponent out of position, and even serves and volleys on occasion.

Strengths and weaknesses

Vandeweghe has one of the best serves in the world, and frequently registers double digits in her ace count. She attacks with her first serve as well as her second serve, and uses both to set up easy putaways for her forehand.

Vandeweghe's forehand is also a major weapon, as she can belt it flat and into the corners without difficulty. Her backhand is relatively less potent, but she can often make up for that by running around it and unloading on a big inside-out forehand.

The American is not the quickest mover on the court, and struggles when forced to defend. She can also sometimes get reckless with her hitting, conceding a few too many points through unforced errors.

Personal life

Vandeweghe was born in New York City, but now resides in California. She comes from a family of athletes and celebrities; her maternal grandfather Ernie Vandeweghe played for the New York Knicks, maternal grandmother Colleen Kay Hutchins was Miss America 1952, and uncle Kiki Vandeweghe played for a variety of NBA teams.

Vandeweghe's mother Tauna was also an accomplished and versatile athlete, having represented USA at the Olympics in two different sports: swimming in 1976 and volleyball in 1984.

The American tried her hand at basketball and wrestling as a kid, but switched to tennis at the age of 11. She turned pro in 2008, and has been coached by Adam Peterson and Pat Cash.

Vandeweghe has often been compared to the Williams sisters because of her big serve and attacking mindset, but she has proven to be a unique player in many aspects. She hits her groundstrokes flatter than most players, and uses her net game effectively to put her opponents under pressure.

She has had a lot of expectations heaped on her from the start, but has shown admirable composure in remaining focused and working on her game. After her breakthrough 2017 year, in which she reached two Slam semifinals and one quarterfinal, Vandeweghe is poised to achieve many more accolades in the near future.

Social media presence:

CoCo Vandeweghe Instagram: @cocovandey

CoCo Vandeweghe Twitter: @CoCoVandey