Following more than a year of collaboration and one Grand Slam victory, Coco Gauff and her coach Brad Gilbert have decided to part ways. Both announced the end of their partnership through separate social media posts. Gauff’s journey with the coaching duo of Gilbert and Pere Riba took off notably after a first-round exit at Wimbledon last season. However, Riba was not part of her team this year. The split comes 2 1/2 weeks after Gauff’s defense of her 2023 U.S. Open title ended with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Emma Navarro in the fourth round, where she committed 19 double-faults.
The 20-year-old American, who recently dropped from No. 3 to No. 6 in the WTA rankings, has faced a series of challenging results in recent months. Despite these setbacks, Gauff had an impressive run in 2023, securing titles in Washington, Cincinnati, and her first major tournament at the U.S. Open. Gilbert expressed gratitude on social media for the “amazing summer run in 2023 and for 14 months of incredible team effort,” and he wished Gauff continued success in her bright future. Gilbert, a former pro who has coached notable players like Andre Agassi, Andy Murray, and Andy Roddick, is excited for the next chapter in his coaching career.
Gauff also thanked Gilbert in her message, acknowledging their incredible run and wishing him all the best. Their time together included Gauff’s semifinal appearances at the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June, where she lost to the eventual champions. At Wimbledon in July, Gauff exited in the fourth round, once again against Navarro, with some mid-match discussions between Gauff and Gilbert about alternate game plans.
Reflecting on her Wimbledon exit, Gauff mentioned wanting more direction during the match. She later exited in the third round of singles at the Paris Olympics after being the female flag bearer for the U.S. team and also bowed out in women’s doubles and mixed doubles after losses in her second matches in both events. Leading up to her return to the U.S. Open as the reigning champion, Gauff went 1-2 at Toronto and the Cincinnati Open.
