Coco Gauff, known for her candid and thoughtful press conference remarks, recently shared insights about her serving inconsistencies between singles and doubles at the National Bank Open in Montreal. Despite serving flawlessly in doubles with zero double faults, she finds herself struggling with double faults more frequently in singles matches.

Gauff remarked, “I just would like to serve how I do in doubles in singles!” She offered a candid explanation: “I feel more pressure serving in doubles than in singles because I don’t want to sit here and give the match away for my partner. So I’m trying to take that mentality into singles, but it’s not so easy.”

While this might sound paradoxical given that she experiences more pressure in doubles, it’s a sentiment shared by many who compete in both formats. Doubles offers the support of a partner, which helps ease the mental burden even when the stakes feel high. Gauff’s first and second serve mechanics appear more fluid and decisive in doubles, while in singles she hesitates and the quality of her second serve declines due to an increase in pressure and self-doubt.

Mental-performance coach Jeff Greenwald explains the phenomenon as “universal.” He says, “In singles, you’re the individual, and you’re out there exposed, and there’s a weight to that. We know the one shot we have total control over is the serve, and that can mess with you.” Contrastingly, “Doubles is more fun and social, which helps you relax,” he adds, noting that having a partner allows players to share pressure and maintain a narrower focus on the serve.

Gauff’s recent singles double fault counts at the tournament — 23 against Danielle Collins and 14 versus Veronika Kudermetova — reflect the challenge she faces. In doubles, the simplified gameplay and presence of a partner enables a more automatic, relaxed serve. Greenwald suggests that elements such as looseness and decisiveness from doubles can be adapted to singles, helping players like Gauff reduce overthinking and serve more consistently.

Ultimately, Gauff continues to compete in both draws at Montreal, embracing the challenges as she prepares to face Victoria Mboko next. Her openness about these struggles offers a valuable look into the nuanced mental demands of professional tennis.

Jannik Sinner’s ascent to the top of men’s tennis is often attributed to his revamped service motion, but his forehand plays an equally pivotal role in his success. Since claiming his first Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open, Sinner has amassed a total of four major trophies, including a defining victory at Wimbledon last month.

His coaching team, with Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill at the helm, introduced a new service motion mid-2023 inspired by big-serving John Isner, which enhanced Sinner’s serve significantly. While this service improvement has drawn much attention, the forehand’s power and unique technique are also instrumental to his game.

Sinner’s forehand generates extraordinary power, in part due to an unconventional racket position at the so-called ‘power point’ of his swing. Unlike most players who position their racket strings at a natural angle for attacking the ball, Sinner’s racket initially points in a seemingly counterintuitive direction: the butt of the racket aimed rightwards and the head pointing away. Just before contact, he snaps the racket into position, creating a whip-like effect that adds significant force to the shot.

This late adjustment demands both tremendous strength and precise timing, making his forehand’s consistency even more remarkable. While many players tilt their racket heads upward before striking, Sinner holds his racket horizontally. This technique resembles Novak Djokovic’s forehand whip, but Sinner’s is more extreme. Britain’s Jack Draper also employs a similar horizontal starting point, which has fueled his rise to the ATP top five this year.

Club players considering emulating Sinner’s forehand should exercise caution, as the repeated extreme whip could lead to injury. Nonetheless, for Sinner, countless hours of practice have refined this technique to deliver impressive results on the sport’s biggest stages.

Iga Swiatek continued to cement her status as one of the greats in women’s tennis with a commanding win at the Canadian Open, part of the WTA 1000 series. The world No. 3 faced Eva Lys in the third round in Montreal and dispatched the German 6-2, 6-2 in just 72 minutes. Swiatek broke Lys’s serve four times and didn’t relinquish her own serve, saving her only break point efficiently.

During her on-court interview, Swiatek remarked, “I just focused on myself and knew what my plan was. Eva played some great down the lines and was able to play some fast balls. It wasn’t easy. I’m happy I just did my job.”

This victory keeps Swiatek’s record flawless against German opponents, standing at 12-0. More importantly, her success at Montreal has elevated her to surpass Martina Hingis in the all-time WTA 1000 win percentage rankings. Since the inception of the Tier 1/WTA 1000 format in 1990, Swiatek has compiled a 116-27 win-loss record, exceeding Hingis’ 189-44 with an 81.11% win rate.

At 24 years old, Swiatek has already captured 10 WTA 1000 titles, a mark only matched or exceeded by seven women since the format began 35 years ago. She will face Clara Tauson in the fourth round as she looks to further bolster her record.

Among the only players ahead of Swiatek are Justine Henin, who holds a 111-25 record and also won 10 WTA 1000 titles; Serena Williams, whose unparalleled 23 titles and 84% win rate place her near the top; and Steffi Graf with a commanding 88.4% win percentage and 15 titles. Hingis herself was a dominant figure with 17 titles and 27 finals.

Swiatek’s rise in these rankings highlights her extraordinary achievements on the WTA 1000 stage, asserting her position among the elite in modern tennis history.