Coco Gauff has received a concerning prediction about her future from Rennae Stubbs, who once coached Serena Williams. The remarks came while Gauff was still competing at the Italian Open.
Gauff may not have had the best start to her 2026 season, but she turned things around with a run to the final of the Miami Open. She has carried that momentum into Rome, where she has now reached the final.
However, Coco Gauff has endured several physically demanding matches in Rome, including three-set battles against Solana Sierra, Iva Jovic, and Mirra Andreeva. Stubbs expressed concern that if this pattern continues, the physical toll could make things difficult for the American in the long run.
“Physically, right now she’s young,” Stunns said on her podcast. “Right now she’s going to get away with this and she’s going to bounce right back, but when she gets to 28, 29, 30, 31 if she’s playing that long, those matches start to take their toll on your body.”
“And as fit and fast and as great an athlete as she is, she’s young, and the more miles she puts on her body on the tennis court, because stress affects your body differently, when she gets to 30, the knees will start to get a bit sorer, the hips will start to get a little bit tighter, the shoulders start to have to work a little bit too much. Those are the sort of things that she will have to start to really think about going forward,” she added.
Coco Gauff Set To Take On Iga Swiatek Or Elina Svitolina In Italian Open Final
Coco Gauff is set to face either Iga Swiatek or Elina Svitolina in the final of the Italian Open. Swiatek has rediscovered her form in Rome, defeating players like Caty McNally, Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula, while Svitolina has impressed with wins over Elena Rybakina, Hailey Baptiste and others.
Gauff and Swiatek have faced each other 16 times, with the Pole holding a dominant 11-5 head-to-head record. Meanwhile, Gauff and Svitolina have met on five occasions, with the Ukrainian leading that matchup 3-2.
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