Coco Gauff Parting Ways with Coach Brad Gilbert After Grand Slam Title

After more than a year and one Grand Slam title together, Coco Gauff announced her split from coach Brad Gilbert via separate messages on social media on Wednesday.

The decision to end their partnership comes shortly after Gauff’s disappointing defense of her 2023 championship at the U.S. Open, where she suffered a defeat with 19 double-faults in the fourth round against Emma Navarro.

Following a series of underwhelming results in recent months, the 20-year-old American dropped from No. 3 to No. 6 in the WTA rankings. Gauff’s career really took off after teaming up with Gilbert and Pere Riba following a first-round exit at Wimbledon last season.

In 2023, Gauff had an impressive run with a 22-1 record, winning titles at Washington, Cincinnati, and the U.S. Open as a teenager under Gilbert’s coaching.

Gilbert expressed his gratitude to Gauff and the team for their successful partnership, while Gauff thanked Gilbert and wished him well in his future endeavors. Their collaboration also led to semifinal appearances at the Australian Open and French Open this year.

Despite their success, tensions arose at Wimbledon in July, culminating in a fourth-round exit against Navarro and some disagreements on-court between Gauff and Gilbert.

After a disappointing run at the Paris Olympics and subsequent losses in doubles events, Gauff struggled to find her form on the hard courts, leading to her early exit at the U.S. Open.

Overall, it was an eventful partnership between Gauff and Gilbert, marked by highs and lows on the tennis circuit. Both parties are now looking forward to new beginnings as they pursue their respective career goals.

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