Coco Gauff will start defending her US Open title in a week, but Rennae Stubbs, who used to coach Serena Williams, has some doubts about Gauff’s current form. Stubbs recently talked about the defending champion’s worrisome performance leading up to her home Slam.

Gauff, who won 1 match and lost 2 in the warm-up tournaments before the US Open, recently fell in the world rankings and will not be one of the top 2 seeds at this year’s tournament. Stubbs, in her most recent episode on The Rennae Stubbs Podcast, talked about how constant scrutiny has affected Gauff negatively.

• Rennae Stubbs said she believes Coco Gauff is receiving a lot of attention and feels sorry for her because of the spotlight on her. She mentioned that the pressure will only increase at the US Open.“She has lost many points, so she won’t be ranked as the No.2 seed at the US Open. Her draw might be a bit tougher depending on who she faces.
  I believe she will be seeded as the No.3 player,” she explained.

Expanding on his point, Stubbs mentioned that Gauff appears to be having a tough time mentally during her matches on the court.

• “I sympathize with her because she’s under a lot of pressure and not feeling mentally well,” the American said. “She’s becoming very emotional during the game.”

Rennae Stubbs also mentioned that Coco Gauff has limited time to prepare for the US Open title defense and will play her first match on Arthur Ashe.

• Stubbs said that Coco Gauff cannot just play in a Challenger tournament to gain more tennis experience. Instead, she will be playing in the US Open next and her first match will be on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
  
• “I want you to imagine being at home and feeling unconfident, unprepared for a meeting, or not ready for your homework or exam. If 20,000 people are looking at you and millions are watching you on TV, you’re not going to enjoy it,” she said.

Gauff won her first Grand Slam title by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the 2023 US Open final.