Category: 6. Sports

NEW YORK — Coco Gauff hit 23 double faults in a second-round match in Montreal — nearly an entire set’s worth of points — and somehow managed to win in three sets. She followed that up with 14 more, and the result was the same.

Clearly, though, that sort of service wasn’t sustainable.

Less than two weeks ago in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open, Gauff hit 16 more double faults. But against Jasmine Paolini, a legitimate Top 10 player, it proved fatal. Some 62 of Paolini’s 85 points — nearly 72 percent — came from unforced errors.

That left Gauff with a staggering 320 doubles in 48 matches, approaching an average of seven.

After a team meeting, the call went out to Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics specialist who was instrumental in solving Aryna Sabalenka’s service issues on her way to the No. 1 ranking. Matt Daly, a grip expert who played a big role in Gauff’s success during last year’s Asia swing and her victory at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, was out.

“It was, like, a very sudden decision,” Gauff told reporters ahead of this US Open. “Gavin became available. I just felt this was the best decision for my game, and I had to go with what I was feeling.

“I know Gavin has had experience with this before, so [I’m] hoping I can just take on his knowledge and see what can happen.”

We’ll get our first look on Tuesday night, when Gauff begins play in Arthur Ashe Stadium against Ajla Tomljanovic.

It’s very much a work in progress. After a hitting session with Elina Svitolina last Wednesday, MacMillan — along with Gauff’s longtime coach, Jean-Christophe Faurel — focused aggressively on her service motion.

Sabalenka’s complete buy-in

In 2022, Sabalenka finished with 249 aces, good for sixth among Hologic WTA Tour players — and 428 double faults, by far the most.

Ironically, it was a loss that summer to Gauff in Toronto that drove Sabalenka to find a fix. In a 3-hour, 11-minute match, she hit 18 double faults.

Her team had been in discussions with MacMillan, who played tennis at San Jose State University and founded Sport Science Lab in 2001. But Sabalenka wasn’t ready to make the commitment — until that result in Canada.

“For me, [it] wasn’t really hard because I tried literally everything, and nothing would help me to fix my serve,” Sabalenka explained. “It was the last step before I would say, ‘OK, bye-bye, tennis.’ I was so desperate, so I wasn’t really doubting my decision.”

And while Sabalenka had convinced herself it was a mental issue, MacMillan insisted that it was a matter of poor technique. The biggest problem he identified: Sabalenka’s left arm (her off arm in serving) was dropping too far and pulling the right shoulder with it, drastically affecting accuracy. There were also some suggested tweaks to the positioning of her right arm.

To her credit, Sabalenka bought in completely and the results, she said, could be seen almost immediately. This year, Sabalenka is about where she usually is in aces — seventh, with 219 — but the same number of double faults places her 46th among her peers.

“The moment we [started] working, I felt like, ‘OK, there is something,’” Sabalenka said. “I definitely have a better feeling on my serve. And I just trusted the process, trusted myself. It was about repetitions, a little bit of time, and full commitment to whatever he was saying.

“But everyone is different, and I wish [Gauff and MacMillan] the very best, and hopefully everything can work out well for them.”

Looking for another bounce

Gauff has already benefited from coaching changes on two occasions.

She brought on veteran coach Brad Gilbert, who led her to a sizzling summer in 2023, culminating with the US Open title. But when she failed to defend that title last year, the Gauff team brought in Daly and he provided an almost immediate spark: Gauff won nine of 10 events in Asia and was crowned champion at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

The timing, Gauff conceded, isn’t ideal. She was asked how difficult it would be to make technical adjustments on the fly — on the cusp of a Grand Slam.

“I mean, a tournament is a tournament,” she said. “I hate losing regardless of where I am. If this was a 250, I would feel just as crazy to do it. I’m one of those people, I’m looking at long term. I hope I can get it all together. If not, I have the rest of this year to work on it.

“I know I needed to make a change, a technical change to it, and I don’t want to waste time continuing doing the wrong things.”

ESPN analyst Darren Cahill, who coaches ATP Tour World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, praised the move, saying “This could be a really good relationship.”

Gauff is only 21 years old — the age of an average college junior — but this is her fifth full year on the WTA Tour. She’s already claimed 10 titles, two of them majors. When she won the US Open title two year ago, four of her seven matches — including the final against Sabalenka — went three sets.

“I wasn’t really happy with how I played the whole tournament, and that was a great result for me,” Gauff explained. “I just want to get better. I’m obsessed with the process of getting better. Yeah, sometimes maybe it hurts because I get obsessed with it too much.

“Obviously there is pressure on both of us. But at the same time, I mean, I’m not thinking about the outside opinions. I feel like I have a clear future where I see myself, and I feel like I’m really close. I think this aspect of the game will bring everything together for me.”

Inter Milan opened their Serie A campaign with an emphatic 5-0 win over Torino at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Monday.

Marcus Thuram struck twice while new signing Ange-Yoan Bonny also got on the scoresheet in a commanding display. Alessandro Bastoni and Lautaro Martinez were the other goalscorers.

Bastoni put Inter on the way with an 18th-minute header and Thuram doubled the lead with a fine strike before the break.

Martinez pounced on an error to put the result beyond doubt after 53 minutes before Thuram and Bonny completed the rout.

Earlier in the evening, Udinese and Verona played out a 1-1 draw at the Bluenergy Stadium.

Suat Serdar equalised for Verona 17 minutes from time after Thomas Kristensen had put the hosts ahead eight minutes into the second half.

In Spain, Athletic Bilbao secured their second LaLiga win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano at San Mames.

Substitute Oihan Sancet scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the 66th minute after he had been fouled by Gerard Gumbau.

Adrian Liso scored twice, either side of a Juan Iglesias own goal, as Getafe won 2-1 at Sevilla.

Munich. On 26 August 1959, the British Motor
Corporation unveiled the first Mini: no one could have guessed at the
time what an impact the innovative concept of brilliant British
engineer Alec Issigonis would have on the automotive world. Sixty-six
years after the launch of the now legendary Classic Mini, the MINI
brand looks back on decades of racing success, visionary innovation,
groundbreaking design – and unmistakable driving pleasure.

The MINI family combines tradition and modernity.

With the relaunch of the MINI family over the past two years, the
brand has once again aligned its pioneering design and historical
heritage with the future: with a new, charismatic generation of the
MINI Cooper and MINI Countryman, the world premiere of the MINI
Aceman, the first crossover model for the premium segment, and the
launch of the new MINI Convertible, MINI combines tradition and
innovation in the present.

The New John Cooper Works models illustrate MINI’s racing expertise
and with a spectacular second place in its class at the 24-hour race
at the Nürburgring, MINI recently demonstrated how much motorsport is
in the brand’s DNA.

On its 66th birthday, MINI can look back on a growing range of
electrified variants within the MINI family. MINI has shown, that
go-kart feeling is also possible with fully electric vehicles.

66 years of vibrant automotive history – a look back at the
milestones of MINI:

26 August 1959	The British Motor Corporation unveils the first Mini in history. The design is the brainchild of British engineer Alec Issigonis.
1961	The first Mini Cooper is unveiled – at a price of £680.
1962	Shortly after the Mini went into production, the British Motor Corporation was manufacturing 200,000 vehicles per year.
1963-64	The first Mini Cooper S is unveiled.
1964	Racing driver Paddy Hopkirk wins the Monte Carlo Rally in spectacular fashion in a Mini Cooper S.
1965	Second consecutive victory at the Monte Carlo Rally for Mini with racing driver Timo Makinen at the wheel.
	Mini celebrates one million vehicles produced.
	The first automatic transmission in the Mini is available.
1967	Mini wins the Monte Carlo Rally for the third time.
1972	Mini celebrates three million vehicles produced.
1981	Drop in production figures to 70,000 vehicles per year.
1990	Under the leadership of the Rover brand, Mini presents a new generation of the Mini Cooper. Initially as a limited edition – later as a series model.
1992	For the first time, the Mini is also available as a convertible.
1994	The BMW Group acquires Rover – and with it, Mini. The acquisition lays the foundation for the MINI brand in its current form.
2001	World premiere of the BMW Group’s first MINI.
	Start of MINI production at the Oxford plant (UK).
	The new generation of the MINI Cooper S is presented at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan.
2002	MINI reaches the milestone of 100,000 vehicles produced at its Oxford plant.
2004	The MINI Cooper S Convertible is unveiled.
2007	The MINI One and MINI Cooper D are unveiled.
	The first MINI Clubman celebrates its world premiere.
2010	The first MINI Countryman is unveiled.
2014	MINI presents the Cooper as a 5-door model for the first time.
2015	MINI presents a new brand logo.
2016	MINI reaches the milestone of 3,000,000 vehicles produced at its Oxford plant.
2020	Production of fully electric series vehicles begins at the Oxford plant with the MINI Cooper SE.
2021	New edition of the MINI 3-door, 5-door and MINI Convertible.
2023	The dawn of a new era with the new MINI: introducing a new generation of the MINI Cooper and MINI Countryman – both available as fully electric models.
2024	With the MINI Aceman, the brand is introducing a completely new model – the first crossover model in the premium segment of the small car class.
2024	MINI John Cooper Works and Bulldog Racing celebrate class victory at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.
2024	Presentation of the new MINI Cooper 5-door and the new MINI Convertible.
2025	MINI John Cooper Works and Bulldog Racing celebrate second place in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.

 

In case of queries, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Franziska Liebert, Press Spokesperson MINI

Phone: +49-151-601-28030
E-mail: franziska.liebert@mini.com

Micaela Sandstede, Head of Communications MINI

Phone: +49-176-601-61611
E-mail: micaela.sandstede@bmw.de