Coco Gauff Admits Her Game Was ‘in a Tough Spot’ at Last Year’s US Open — Now She’s Changed Her Serve for the Better (Exclusive)

• Coco Gauff tells PEOPLE why competing in the US Open is “everything” to her and how she’s coming back from feeling in a “tough spot” last year
• Gauff says she changed her serve and she’s “really happy that I was able to make that change” ahead of the 2026 tournament
• The tennis star reveals her “least favorite” part of training and recovery — and shares something she asks PEOPLE not to tell her physical therapist

For Coco Gauff, playing in the US Open “is everything.”

The 22-year-old tennis star tells PEOPLE exclusively she’s looking forward to the upcoming tournament because the hard court is her “favorite surface” and “playing in front of the American crowd is definitely my favorite part.”

Each year, Gauff forgets “how loud” the American fans are when she takes the court. “You’re playing all year, and they’re loud, but I don’t know — I think it’s just typical Americans, they’re super loud. It just feels even louder than the other stadiums I play in,” she says.

At the time she’s chatting with PEOPLE about her love for Naked Smoothies — especially the Green Machine and her own flavor, Coco’ Gauff’s Protein — the tennis star is in Cincinnati “playing the last warmup before” she takes the court in New York. “Other than that, I’m just chilling. Just focus on this tournament, and then I have a week in between now or in between Cincinnati and New York to practice some more.”

In the 2025 US Open, Gauff reached the fourth round before losing to Naomi Osaka in straight sets. “I think last year, I was in a tough spot in my game,” Gauff says.

“I changed my serve, decided to change my serve almost a year ago coming up, and I wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be right off the bat, but I’m really happy that I was able to make that change with my serve and be able to, I don’t know, just be happy and normal on the court instead of stressing about something like I was last year,” she continues.

When she’s having a tough time on the road, Gauff says she’ll “usually journal or talk to a therapist to help me navigate it all.” She also prioritizes taking care of herself off the court with Naked Smoothies. “They honestly help me a lot, especially when I’m at home because I feel like I’m always on-the-go.”

“Believe it or not,” Gauff says, she feels her routine at home “is more sporadic than when I’m actually playing a tournament because I’m usually practicing twice a day and starting at like 7:30, 8:00 in the morning.”

The two-time Grand Slam singles champ, who won the US Open in 2023, says she prefers to get her nutrients in liquid form rather than eating more solid meals. “I drink Naked mainly in between practices or sometimes early in the morning when I don’t have enough time to get a breakfast in, and just try to have constant refuel out the day because I’m not really a snacker.”

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“I just find it easier to drink my snack instead of actually physically eating something,” says Gauff. “And it has 20 grams of protein, no added sugar. So, all the things that I need for performance-wise, and it also tastes good, which is crazy that they’re able to make that taste good.”

Her least favorite part of staying in shape? “Last night, it was the ice bath,” says Gauff. “Don’t tell my physio, but she told me to get into it, and I’m pretty sure I only got my calves, and that’s not productive at all, but I didn’t want to lie and be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t do it,’ so I told her I did it, but I didn’t fully.”

“Yeah, I think the ice bath is my least favorite. It’s like, you shower, and then you got to get all wet again, and now, I’m cold for the rest of the night,” the tennis star quips.

The 2026 US Open begins on Sunday, Aug. 30, with the women’s singles final set for Saturday, Sept. 12.

Read the original article on People