Latest news with #RickMacci
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Serena Williams tipped for shock US Open comeback by former coach
Serena Williams has been tipped to make a shock comeback at the upcoming US Open by her former coach Rick Macci. During a remarkable career, Williams won 23 women's singles grand slams while adding 14 women's doubles title and two mixed doubles crowns at slams. She spent 319 weeks as world No 1 and racked up 73 WTA Tour singles titles before playing her final match as a 40-year-old at the 2022 US Open – losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round. Her older sister Venus Williams is still competing, making headlines with her latest comeback last month where the 45-year-old competed at the Washington Open and became the second-oldest player in history, after Martina Navratilova, to win a WTA Tour singles match as she beat then-world No 35 Peyton Stearns 6-3 6-4 in her first match for more than 16 months. The seven-time grand slam singles champion has since been given a wildcard for women's singles event at the US Open, where she will compete for a record-extending 25th time when the tournament gets underway at Flushing Meadows on 24 August. And legendary coach Macci is now convinced that the 43-year-old Serena Williams will join her sister by coming out of retirement to compete alongside Venus in the women's doubles in New York. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), the 70-year-old Macci wrote: 'Asked if Serena will play doubles with Vee at the Open. My gut is probably [yes] because at the end of the day Serena can still play even though she has been away. 'Her serve is still one of the best on the planet and when she competes her mindset is like granite.' Serena Williams is widely seen as the greatest women's tennis player of all time (GOAT) although she does trail the controversial Margaret Court by one in terms of grand slam singles titles – 24 to 23. She helped transform the sport and was almost unbeatable in a spell from 2014 to 2016 where, in a span of eight grand slams, she won five of them, lost in two finals and was knocked out at the semi-final stage of the other. And Macci is adamant that no one even comes close to her in any debate about greatness. In an interview with Tennis 365, he explained: 'Serena's the GOAT and the best player of all time, and I don't think anybody is even in the passenger side when you talk about Serena.' The Williams sisters won 14 women's grand slam doubles titles together between 1999 and 2016 as they formed an unstoppable partnership. Macci coached them both in their younger years, from 1991 to 1995 at his tennis academy in Florida, and also weighed in on Venus Williams's comeback. 'Both her and Serena, as you saw from the movie King Richard, are both like my daughters,' Macci added. 'Especially Venus, because she was a little older and I spent more time with her. 'Listen, at the end of the day, she just loves to play. I saw the same smile and enthusiasm. She won that match [against Peyton Stearns in Washington], she's bouncing up and down like a human pogo stick. The same exact thing I saw at age 14, it was identical.'
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Coco Gauff's stunning loss at Wimbledon in the first round explained by Rick Macci
On red clay, Coco Gauff is a demon. On grass, she's been a dud. It wasn't a giant surprise to Boca Raton's wizard of tennis. Rick Macci, that Gauff flamed out early again at Wimbledon on July 1. The Delray Beach resident shockingly lost in the first round in straight sets to 42nd-ranked Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, weeks after capturing the French Open for her second Grand Slam title. Advertisement Macci, who developed the Williams sisters and aided the growth of Andy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati and Mary Pierce, among others, sees Coco's deficiencies on grass as definitively as a long red light on Jog Road. Gauff has never been out of the fourth round at Wimbledon – two years ago she also was dumped in the first round by another Macci prodigy, Sofia Kenin, who lives in Broward County. More: How Coco Gauff's grandmother made history in Palm Beach County Macci, who runs his Rick Macci Tennis Academy in Boca, says Yastremska is an accomplished grass-court player – but there is more to Coco's early demise. Advertisement The severe Western forehand grip and long sweeping backswing that create all that Coco topspin isn't made for the fast turf. Macci calls it "the daily double," decimating the world's No. 2-ranked player on the Wimbledon green. 'With the surface where the ball skids, the people who hit a little cleaner, a little earlier, a little flatter, it's conducive for those type of players," Macci told The Palm Beach Post. 'It doesn't surprise me simply because on the grass, her forehand is always going to be problematic because of the grip and radius on the swing is a little big. She needs a bit more time. On the forehand on clay or hardcourt, she's not going to feel as rushed." Coco's grand performance at the French Open makes most tennis experts believe her best surface is the red dust. Coco made the French Open finals in 2022, the quarterfinals in 2023, semifinals in 2024 and won the whole pastry for her second major on June 9 when she toppled Aryna Sabalenka. Coco Gauff waves to the crowd while leaving the court after her July 1 match against Dayana Yastremska on Day 2 at Wimbledon. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images After celebrating her win at Roland Garros with a media tour in the United States and quick visit to her Delray home, the 21-year-old Coco played just one grass court tune-up ahead of Wimbledon, in Berlin. Advertisement It is the quickest turnaround between majors – and she lost in Germany in Round 1 to a qualifier, Xinyu Wang, 6-3, 6-3. She decided to practice on grass the week before Wimbledon instead of playing one more grass court tune-up. Turns out it was whopping mistake after losing 7-6, 6-1 to Yastremska. 'Nothing beats live and in color, playing a match," Macci said. 'You can practice all you want. Nothing takes the place of feeling those moments and tension." Macci gave Coco a lesson when she was 7 years old in Boca Raton when her father, Corey, brought her for the day. 'After a couple of balls, I didn't say anything about tennis," Macci recalled. 'I said, 'This girl should also run track.' She had a motor back then." Advertisement Wimbledon's grass courts remain a challenge for Coco Gauff However, Gauff's speed isn't the same on grass, Macci said. 'Movement on grass is very different. Even though she's like an Olympic runner with a racket in her hand and best athlete, quickest on the tour, movement on grass is a different animal. When you go into the corners, it's more difficult to get out. Her movement on grass isn't quite efficient enough. She's 21. It's different than a hardcourt." But Coco shone in her first career breakthrough, in 2019, and it was on the grass at Wimbledon, knocking off Venus Williams in the first round. Coco made it all the way to the fourth round, at age 15. Advertisement Since then, there's been perhaps a mental barrier to breaking into the Wimbledon quarterfinals. 'Once you know mentally that you're missing balls or losing points differently than you would on the rest of the surfaces, it becomes a mental battle," said Macci, who sees Coco's youngest brother, Cameron, at his academy. 'I don't care if your backbone is stronger than your backhand, the mental part kicks in. Points are quicker and you can lose a point so quickly (on grass). There's frustration." Macci dismissed Gauff's nine double faults because she usually overcomes an erratic second serve in other events. He pointed out Gauff leads the tour in double faults and still is No. 2 in the world. Does hunger wane as the highest-paid female sports endorser? Macci doesn't buy into that theory because of her character. Coco was tearful in her news conference, displaying how much it hurt. Advertisement 'I don't think the endorsements affect her at all," Macci said. 'It comes with the landscape. You work your whole life for the pressure and her parents (Corey and Candi) are so grounded. With Venus and Serena, it's one thing to get there. It's another thing to stay there. She's so young. We'll see how it plays out, but she's such a great competitor." And she probably is in store for multiple French Open titles. 'She gets back so many balls, you have to win the point two or three times," Macci said of Coco's clay-court prowess. 'But she's amazing also on hard because she can push off quicker rather than sliding on clay. She's amazing on clay and hardcourts." Rick Macci thinks Coco Gauff can win at Wimbledon Delray Beach's Coco Gauff reacts on July 1 after missing a shot against Dayana Yastremska on Day 2 at Wimbledon. Gauff lost the match 7-6, 6-1. Geoff Burke/Imagn Images Macci still thinks she can win at Wimbledon, eventually. Advertisement 'She needs a little more time," Macci said. 'People know she's a little more vulnerable. She just doesn't get back as many balls as hard or clay. Once her forehand gets more compact, cleaner and has better center of gravity and doesn't give as many presents on the second serve, I can see her some day winning Wimbledon." For her part, Gauff admitted afterward to a French Open hangover. 'Mentally, I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards, so I didn't feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it," Gauff said. "But it's the first time in this experience. I definitely learned a lot of what I would and would not do again. 'I'm trying to be positive. I just feel a little bit disappointed in how I showed up today." Advertisement Coco will be heading to Palm Beach County shortly. In late July, the U.S. hardcourt series leading into late August's U.S. Open commences. She won the Open in 2023 – her first major. 'I'm not going to dwell on this too long," Gauff said, "because I want to do well at the U.S. Open.' This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Coco Gauff loses first-round match on Wimbledon's grass where she struggles
