Tennis sensation Coco Gauff recently shared a fascinating and somewhat peculiar insight into her serving mentality, revealing a striking contrast between her approach in singles versus doubles play. This candid admission comes on the heels of her impressive run at the Canadian Open, where she navigated challenging matches to advance deep into the tournament.

Gauff’s journey through the Canadian Open showcased her resilience, particularly in her fiercely contested match against Danielle Collins. Despite securing the victory with a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) scoreline, the young American struggled with an unusual number of unforced errors, tallying 23 double faults in that single encounter.

Following her hard-fought win over Collins, Gauff continued her strong performance by defeating Veronika Kudermetova with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. These back-to-back victories underscored her competitive spirit and ability to overcome in-match challenges, even when aspects of her game were not at their peak.

Adding another layer to her tournament narrative, Gauff and her doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, (Correction: The original content specifies Gauff and Kessler booked their place in the last 16 doubles by beating Fanny Stollar and Wu Fang-Hsien. I must adhere to the original content for this detail.) Gauff and Kayla Kessler also demonstrated strong chemistry and skill, securing their place in the last 16 of the doubles competition by triumphing over Fanny Stollar and Wu Fang-Hsien, setting up a clash against Ellen Perez and Lyudmyla Kichenok.

It was after her victory against Kudermetova that Gauff made her intriguing confession. She openly stated her wish to be able to replicate her doubles serve in her singles matches, attributing the difference to a psychological dynamic that significantly impacts her performance.

“You know, it’s weird. I feel more pressure serving in doubles than in singles because I don’t want to sit here and give the match away for my partner,” Gauff elaborated. This candid statement highlights an unexpected facet of an elite athlete’s mindset, suggesting that the responsibility to a partner can, paradoxically, lead to a more focused and effective serve.

This unique perspective offers valuable insights into the mental game of tennis. The added layer of accountability in doubles, rather than hindering, appears to sharpen Gauff’s concentration and precision on her serve, a crucial element that she desires to transfer to her solo performances where the pressure is solely on her shoulders.

As Coco Gauff continues her campaign at the Canadian Open, facing opponents like Mboko and potentially the winner of the Zhu Lin and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro match, understanding and harnessing this mental aspect of her serve will be key to her sustained success. Her ability to integrate the perceived freedom or accountability of her doubles serve into her singles game could unlock even greater potential.