Coco Gauff targets her first deep Wimbledon run on grass

Coco Gauff opens Wimbledon 2026 on Monday against Tamara Korpatsch as the No. 7 seed, trying to break through a fourth-round ceiling on grass. The two-time major champion says confidence and sharper footwork are the keys, even as Andy Roddick warns her movement is less effective on turf.

Gauff told reporters at her opening media conference that grass remains the surface where she has the most to prove. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam where she has never gone beyond the fourth round, and she lost in the first round last year.

Key Takeaways

• Gauff faces Tamara Korpatsch on Monday at 1:30 p.m. ET on No. 1 Court; TV is ESPN, with streams on DIRECTV and fuboTV free trials.
• At her media conference, Gauff said grass is not a natural surface for her but vowed to make it natural through footwork, game style, and a more aggressive serve.
• Andy Roddick told Tennishead that Gauff's elite movement is less effective on grass because she cannot recover as aggressively as on hard or clay courts.
• Gauff has not won a singles match on grass since 2024 and lost her only 2026 grass tune-up to Paula Badosa in Berlin.
• Korpatsch beat Gauff in 2019 Linz qualifying, though Gauff says she barely remembers the match.

Why does Coco Gauff struggle on grass courts?

Gauff was blunt: We do not have the best relationship, she said, though she cited fond memories and a couple of fourth-round runs. She believes she has the ability but that confidence, not talent, has held her back. She also pointed to tough Wimbledon draws over the years.

Roddick offered a technical view on his Served podcast, cited by Tennishead: Gauff is one of the best movers on the WTA Tour, but that movement is not as good on grass because she cannot screech and get back the way she does elsewhere. He added that her looped forehand sits up on faster turf, forcing her to flatten shots she prefers to drive with spin.

What is Gauff changing for Wimbledon 2026?

According to Wimbledon, Gauff called this her best grass practice stretch since she started playing the event. Her plan is trial and error: sharpen footwork, define a grass-court identity, and attack with her serve.

Going for my serve more is something I regret maybe not doing as much of at Roland-Garros, she said. On grass it can do more damage. At 22, she is starting her seventh Wimbledon campaign after announcing herself at 15 by beating Venus Williams. She opens against Korpatsch, ranked No. 79, who beat her in 2019 Linz qualifying. For more offbeat sports coverage, browse Bizarre News & Florida Man.

How can you watch Gauff vs. Korpatsch today?

Syracuse.com lists Monday, June 29, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. ET on No. 1 Court at the All England Club. The No. 7 seed carries two major titles but has never passed the fourth round at Wimbledon.

The match airs on ESPN. U.S. viewers can stream it through DIRECTV's five-day free trial, fuboTV's free trial, or ESPN's digital platforms.

What did Andy Roddick say about Gauff on grass?

Roddick told his podcast audience this surface is going to be a struggle and you are going to hear a lot about it. He said grass demands gentler stops and harder sprints through the ball, unlike clay or hard courts where Gauff's speed is a weapon.

Coco's movement is the best on earth and that movement is not as good on grass, he said, because she cannot be as aggressive with that movement. Gauff's response at media day was calmer: keep playing, learn from mistakes, and make the unnatural feel natural.