US Open champ dumps coach after ‘cringe’ act

Coco Gauff has split with her coach Brad Gilbert, a fortnight after the defence of her 2023 US Open title ended in a fourth-round loss to Emma Navarro.
Gauff and Gilbert had worked together for barely more than a year, having teamed up after her first round Wimbledon defeat last year.
With Gilbert, Gauff then went on a tear, winning 22 of 23 matches in a stretch that included victories at Washington, Cincinnati and then the US Open, all before her 20th birthday.
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But there had been signs of friction between the pair for several months. Against Navarro, Gauff made 19 double-faults, and became frustrated as Gilbert was unable to offer assistance in the 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss.
Brad Gilbert and Coco Gauff ahead of the US Open. Getty
It was the second grand slam in a row she had lost to Navarro in the fourth round. At Wimbledon, she lost in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. She had also slipped from No.3 in the WTA rankings to No.6.
After the Wimbledon loss, Gauff said she “wanted more direction” from Gilbert, who had come under fire for continuing to commentate while still an active coach.
Barely 15 minutes after watching Gauff’s US Open loss, Gilbert made an awkward appearance on the ESPN desk, where Australian co-panellist Rennae Stubbs talked about what went wrong in the match.
“Under pressure, bad technique breaks down and her technique is … it’s hard for me to say because Brad is sitting here,” Stubbs said.
“But her technique, the elbow is too low, the grip is a little weird as well.
“So it’s hard for her to get that nice first serve and then the same or similar second serve.”
They announced their split via separate social media posts on Thursday morning (AEST).
During her US Open loss to Navarro, Gauff was often gesturing to Gilbert in her players box. Getty
Gilbert posted a thank-you on social media to 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,” he wrote.
“I’m excited for the next chapter in my coaching career.”
Gilbert has worked with players including Andre Agassi, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick in the past.
In her message, Gauff thanked Gilbert and added: “We had an incredible run and I wish you all the best in the future!”
Their tenure also included semifinal appearances at the Australian Open and Roland-Garros, where Gauff lost to the eventual champions at both.
She exited in the third round of singles at the Paris Olympics after being the female flag bearer for the US team. Gauff then bowed out of both the doubles and mixed doubles on the same day.