But few can relate to what Gauff was going through quite like Sabalenka, who struggled so mightily with her delivery that she was reduced to under-arm attempts as recently as the 2022 Australian summer swing. It took working with biomechanic coach Gavin MacMillan to finally fix the issues with her delivery and turn her career around. Still, Sabalenka, who shared a warm hug with Gauff at net, was sympathetic to her rivals continued struggle in press.
“I was playing that match thinking, like, ‘Well, girl, I feel you,’” she said after the 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback. “’I feel you like nobody else.’
“I know what she’s going through,” she added later. “This is really difficult. This is really tough. But I know that if she’ll be able to overcome this serve situation, she already one of the best players, but I’m pretty sure she’s going to be one of the greatest players.”
Gauff indeed overcame the situation only a few weeks later—ironically at Sabalenka’s expense—by avenging the Wuhan loss en route to winning the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh. That day, the former US Open champ cut her double faults down from 21 to 2, setting the stage for what should be one of the more intriguing rivalries heading into 2025.
