Serena Williams' ex-coach reveals Coco Gauff's key weapon to silence doubts about her ability to compete on grass

Serena Williams' former coach, Rick Macci, recently came out in defense of Coco Gauff as the World No. 2 begins her grasscourt season at the Berlin Tennis Open this week. He believes that the American's detractors are short-sighted in their criticism of her aptitude for the surface since the latter, according to him, is an all-surface player.

Gauff has enjoyed a great season on the WTA Tour this year, winning her second Major title at the 2025 French Open while also consistently making it to the business end of several other big tournaments. The 21-year-old will be eager to win her first-ever title on grass in Berlin as she amps up her preparations for next month's Wimbledon.

Ahead of her first-round match at the WTA 500 tournament later this week, Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to rubbish claims of Coco Gauff's purported inability to do well on grass. The 70-year-old tennis veteran insisted that the two-time Major winner's "elite speed" alone ensures that she can get on top of matches on virtually any surface.

"Many people saying Coco cannot play on Grass. Coco can play well on any surface because of her ELITE SPEED. Speed lives another day and she will figure out the best way to play. @CocoGauff," Serena Williams' former coach Rick Macci wrote on X.

Macci has coached the likes of the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova, and Jennifer Capriati before they won multiple Majors and became World No. 1. The USTPA-approved coach also gave his two cents on the comparison between his former 23-time Major-winning ward and Coco Gauff recently.

"Was asked if Coco is like the next Serena. There is only one Serena. But she has more common threads like Venus. Gazelle fast. Lightning quick. Loose wires. Burning Rage. Whippy forehand. Bullet backhand. And the most common Thread a Champions Head. @CocoGauff @Venuseswilliams," he wrote on X earlier on Sunday.

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Coco Gauff hasn't gone past the fourth round of Wimbledon in her last five appearances

Coco Gauff lost to Emma Navarro in Wimbledon 4R last year | Image Source: Getty

For what it's worth, grass is statistically Coco Gauff's least successful surface in her young career thus far. While the American has reached at least the semifinals of the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US Open — winning two of them — she has yet to go past the fourth round of Wimbledon.

The World No. 2's best results at SW19 came in 2019, 2021, and 2024, which saw her reach the second week of the grasscourt Major. She will be looking for a reversal of fortunes on the surface this year, and a title run at the Berlin Tennis Open will go a long way as far as her prospects of a deep showing at Wimbledon are concerned.