Why Grass Courts Challenge Even Elite Tennis Players Like Gauff and Osaka
By
Giri Nathan
4h ago· 7 min readenInsight
Summary
This article examines why Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, despite winning six Grand Slams between them on other surfaces, have historically struggled at Wimbledon on grass. It analyzes how their playing styles — Osaka's rhythm-dependent power game and Gauff's speed and rally tolerance — are less suited to grass courts, which favor different skills like serve-and-volley, slice, and adaptability. The piece explores the technical and tactical adjustments required to succeed on grass, using Gauff and Osaka as case studies for the broader challenge of translating hard-court and clay-court success to the grass surface.
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Key quotes
· 3 pulledHeading into this year's Wimbledon, neither Coco Gauff nor Naomi Osaka had made a deep run at the tournament, despite winning a total of six Slams elsewhere.
An observer trying to make sense of this history could argue that their styles of play weren't flattered by the demands of grass-court tennis.
Osaka's power game relies on rhythm, which she gets from the ball's consistent and reliable bounces off a hard court; Gauff's raw foot speed and rally tolerance aren't great competitive advantages.
Heading into this year’s Wimbledon, neither Coco Gauff nor Naomi Osaka had made a deep run at the tournament, despite winning a total of six Slams elsewhere. Gauff had peaked at the fourth round, and Osaka at the third round, three times apiece for both p
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