Coco Gauff Smashes an Unwanted WTA Record as Double-Fault Woes Hit New Heights in 2025

In a season where Coco Gauff collected a Grand Slam, banked endorsement millions, and cemented her status as the most marketable young star in sport, the American also managed to stumble into a far less glamorous milestone — one she would happily return for a refund.

While 2025 gave Gauff the French Open trophy, the United Cup shield and the Wuhan title, it also delivered a statistical blot even she could not outrun: a record-shattering avalanche of double faults that now stands as the worst in the Open Era — in back-to-back seasons.

Serving Genius or Serving Roulette?

Gauff’s serve has long been both weapon and weakness, but this year the numbers tipped decisively toward the latter. She racked up 431 double faults, making it two consecutive seasons beyond the 400 mark — a feat no one in the Open Era has ever “achieved”.

The contrast is striking: the first American woman since Serena Williams to win a clay major since 2015… yet also rewriting the record books for the wrong reasons.

Little wonder that, amid the triumphs, her coaching team paid the price. Out went Matt Daly; in came Gavin MacMillan, the biomechanics specialist credited with helping Aryna Sabalenka banish her own serving yips. Yet the repair remains only partly complete.

The Chasing Pack: A Long Way Back

Her lead over the rest is not modest — it’s a canyon.

Second-placed Ekaterina Alexandrova logged 300, more than 130 behind. Alycia Parks, queen of high-risk tennis, sits third with 296 despite playing far fewer matches. And young hitters like Linda Noskova and Marta Kostyuk round out the top five.

Further down, Sabalenka — once synonymous with serving meltdowns — now sits all the way in 38th, a testament to how far she has come and how far Gauff still has to go.

Even the steadier names aren’t immune. Iga Swiatek sits 12th and Elena Rybakina 15th — a reflection not only of volume but of the fact that both routinely take far higher risks on the second serve in big matches than most of their peers. Emma Raducanu appears in 42nd, while at the opposite end of the spectrum sits the model of efficiency: Katie Volynets, who produced just 20 double faults in 32 matches, the anti-Gauff of 2025.

What It Means for 2026

For Gauff, this statistical stain does not eclipse a season of substantial achievement. But it does hint at a storyline that could define her next chapter.

If she cracks the serve, she becomes the dominant force her ranking and résumé suggest.
If she doesn’t, rivals will continue circling whenever the second serve wobbles.

Either way, one thing is certain: the spotlight will only grow brighter.

WTA Double Fault Leaders – 2025 Season

Why the Worst DF Stats Don’t Always Mean Weak Serving

The numbers also hint at something else: the players highest on this list are often the ones taking the boldest risks on second serve. Coco Gauff tops the chart not simply through inconsistency but perhaps through a willingness to go after her second delivery in the biggest moments. Linda Noskova belongs in the same bracket, her aggressive patterns reflecting a young player unafraid to trade double faults for free points. Both Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova routinely flatten their second serves in top matches, accepting the occasional miss as the cost of dictating rallies early. And Elena Rybakina, long known for driving her second serve like a first, rounds out a group whose numbers sometimes say less about fragility and more about a high-risk, high-reward philosophy.

Highest Risk Takers on Second Serve?

Top 5 (factoring ranking weight)

1️⃣ Coco Gauff (WTA rank: 3 → Ranked in DFs: 1)
2️⃣ Linda Noskova (13 → 4)
3️⃣ Iga Swiatek (2 → 12)
4️⃣ Amanda Anisimova (4 → 6)
5️⃣ Elena Rybakina (5 → 15)

If we look at the numbers this way, then Jasmine Paolini might be the player taking almost no risks on the second serve. She’s the only Top 10 player not even in this top 50 for double faults.

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