After a disappointing summer, Coco Gauff has parted ways with noted coach Brad Gilbert, who led her to the US Open triumph last year, among other successes.
What a difference a year makes is truly how the career of Gauff unfolded over the past year. At this time last year, the American was enjoying life, having just won her maiden Grand Slam trophy.
She shut down all the criticism and proved she wasn't wasting her talent. It was an amazing time after an amazing run that included trophies in Washington, Cincinnati, and the US Open.
All of this was done under the watchful eyes of noted tennis coach Brad Gilbert, who had joined Gauff’s team just ahead of that run. Analysts were discussing how she turned her lackluster season around, wondering what the future would bring.
The future did bring some solid moments overall, but not the sort of success many expected. Gauff has won trophies since then, but not as many as people thought she might.
She won in Auckland earlier this year, as well as the Roland Garros doubles trophy. However, her tennis didn’t significantly improve and even stagnated in some ways.
This summer was poor for the 20-year-old compared to last year’s, as her results weren’t even close to what they had been. She crashed out of the US Open early, showing serious problems with her serve, adding another problem area to her game.
It was clear things weren't working out, and something needed to change. Few doubted she would let go of her coach because he is one of the best coaches out there, with a long history of working with some of the best players in the world.
It was under him that Gauff finally found her best tennis, but they split. They won't be working together anymore, as Gilbert thanked Gauff for the opportunity to work with her during their 14-month incredible journey.
"Thanks to Coco Gauff and the entire team for an absolutely amazing summer run in 2023 and for 14 months of incredible team effort."
"Coco, at just 20 years young, your future is incredibly bright, and I wish you nothing but continued success ahead. I’m excited for the next chapter in my Coaching career."
The 14 months that they worked together will go down as an incredible run during which Gauff went from a player who was beaten early at Wimbledon to winning a couple of big trophies just weeks after that.
She played the best tennis she had ever played under Gilbert, and her results showed it. Gauff's highlights under Gilbert include the 2023 Citi Open trophy, the 2023 Cincinnati Open triumph, the 2023 US Open title, and the 2024 ASB Classic victory.
She also made the Australian Open and Roland Garros semi-finals this year, but during the North American hard-court swing, she couldn't replicate last year's results, which was likely the main reason for the split.
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