The tentacles of Hurricane Erin reached New York Wednesday, forcing the closure of beaches and the cancellation of the qualifying matches at the U.S. Open. It was eerily quiet at the USTA Center — the sky was gray, the courts were slick and most of the players were hanging in the player’s lounge or working on one of the few indoor practice courts.

Most of the players.

Coco Gauff , the most popular American tennis player, hadn’t been able to book a practice court. So, she and her newly hired coach, biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, braved the mist for close to an hour as they worked on trying to fix her serve.

Desperate? Determined? Or, a mix of both? In the wake of her sudden coaching shakeup, Gauff’s mindset has been the subject of much speculation as the U.S. Open begins here Sund

See Full Page