Coco Gauff’s meteoric rise in the world of tennis has been nothing short of spectacular since adding Brad Gilbert to her coaching team. With Gilbert by her side, the young American tennis sensation has achieved remarkable success on the tour, including her maiden Grand Slam title and her first WTA 1000-category tournament victory.
Under Gilbert’s guidance, Gauff secured a triumphant run at the 2023 Citi Open, defeating Maria Sakkari in the championship game. She then went on to win her first WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Masters by overcoming KarolÃna Muchová in the finals. Gauff continued her winning streak by clinching the title at her home Grand Slam event, where she emerged victorious against Aryna Sabalenka. Additionally, she reached the semifinals at both the China Open and the WTA Finals during the 2023 season.
However, Gauff’s performance took a hit when Gilbert was absent from her player’s box. The reigning US Open champion suffered early exits at tournaments like the Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championship, failing to advance to the latter rounds without her coach’s presence.
As Gauff kicks off the clay court season at the Stuttgart Open without Gilbert by her side, she faced a tough challenge against Marta Kostyuk and was ultimately knocked out in a thrilling three-set match in the quarterfinal rounds.
The question remains: has Brad Gilbert’s presence been the key to Coco Gauff’s recent success on the tour? Share your thoughts in the comments section.