Coco Gauff recently parted ways with Brad Gilbert and former ATP player Andy Roddick shared his thoughts on what might be in store for the American when it comes to finding a new coach.
Gauff’s decision to split from coach Gilbert surprised some, but not everyone. The reason primarily comes down to experience. Gilbert is a highly-regarded coach and undoubtedly one of the most experienced coaches in the sport.
However, it's not always just about experience—it’s also about the right fit. At the start, the fit seemed perfect, with tremendous success early in their partnership. Gauff won a couple of events just weeks after beginning to work with Gilbert, including the US Open, which remains the biggest trophy of her career.
As Roddick pointed out on the Tennis Channel, that alone made the partnership worthwhile. However, things have changed over time, and this year hasn’t been as impressive for Gauff.
"Obviously, out of the gates, it was stunning success. You would trade all of the tough moments for that US Open win."
She’s had some good moments, but the US Open and the tournaments leading up to it this year showed she wasn't playing anywhere near the level she reached last year. Some significant losses, including at the US Open, made it clear things weren’t working.
In that sense, parting ways with her coach shouldn’t surprise anyone, as the results showed the partnership wasn’t as effective anymore. What comes next is a mystery.
Gauff hasn’t spoken much about the changes, and she’s not one to disclose her plans easily. What is certain, however, is that she’s unlikely to rush into a decision. That’s how she’s approached her career in the past.
She takes her time to make decisions like these, and Roddick believes the same will happen this time. As a guest on the Tennis Channel, he admitted that even he isn’t sure what’s next for Gauff.
"I don't know that I was shocked. It's been a bit of a rough year. What I'm curious about moving forward is whether there is going to be a co-coach situation. Is there going to be a name-brand coach? Is this something that she enjoyed looking back, or was the attention to the relationship a net negative?"
"I don't think she'd be in a rush to do anything because J.C. Farell is in her corner, and she's comfortable there. Your guess is as good as mine. I don't think she's going to be in a rush to fix it immediately."
Gauff needs to address a couple of issues. Her forehand remains a consistent issue that more and more players are exploiting. Her serve was terrible at the US Open, and that’s another area where she can improve.
While this year is nearly over, the following year will be a big one for Gauff, and a new coach might help her to achieve that.