5 players who should hire Brad Gilbert following Coco Gauff split ft. Emma Raducanu, Stefanos Tsitsipas
Coco Gauff and Brad Gilbert's partnership came to an end as announced by the latter on Thursday, September 18. The split comes just days after the 20-year-old failed to defend her US Open title, going down to Emma Navarro in three sets in the fourth round.
However, Gauff did taste considerable success under Gilbert. Aside from winning her maiden Major title in New York last year, she also won the Cincinnati Open, and the Citi Open, and defended her title at the ASB Classic this year. She also rose to a career-high ranking of No. 2.
Gilbert has a stellar resume as a coach, having previously worked with Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Andy Murray, among others. With a proven track record as a coach, here are five players who could do well under him after his split with Gauff:
#5 - Felix Auger-Aliassime
Felix Auger-Aliassime's long-time coach Frederic Fontang is still by his side. While Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal's uncle, is listed as his coach on the ATP site, he hasn't been in the picture for a while now.
The Canadian won four titles in 2022 and peaked at No. 6 in the rankings but has struggled since then. A runner-up finish at the Madrid Open and a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics have been his best results this year.
Auger-Aliassime could certainly benefit under the vision of a new coach. The 24-year-old is far too talented to squander his prime years, and making some adjustments could lead to another breakthrough for him. Hiring Brad Gilbert could certainly be a step in the right direction.
#4 - Holger Rune
Holger Rune's coaching situation has been quite a mess for a while now, and that has been reflected in his results this season. He split with Patrick Mouratoglou in August 2023 and hired Boris Becker a couple of months later. He also added Severin Luthi to his team.
However, Rune parted ways with Luthi in January 2024 and concluded his partnership with Becker the following month. He reunited with Mouratoglou once again, and the two went their separate ways in July. He then hired his compatriot Kenneth Carlsen as his latest coach.
Rune and Carlsen's partnership is still new and is yet to be tested. However, having another voice in his box wouldn't hurt. The young Dane is used to having two coaches with him, and he could flourish further with Brad Gilbert in his corner along with his current coach.
#3 - Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu's frequent rotation of coaches since her triumph at the US Open three years ago led to a lot of criticism. Following an injury hiatus from April last year, she remained without a coach for a long time. She then hired Nick Cavaday before her comeback this year.
A fourth-round finish at Wimbledon has been Raducanu's best showing this year. She's yet to reach a final since winning the US Open. Gilbert's coaching resume is quite stacked compared to Cavaday's, and the Brit could scale new heights under him.
Working with Gauff was the first time that Brad Gilbert coached a WTA player. Having devised strategies to counter so many players on the women's tour for over a year, Raducanu could potentially reap the same benefits that Gauff did under his tutelage.
#2 - Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas' father Apostolos doubled up as his coach for a long time. However, the two called it a time on the professional front last month after he had an outburst during his loss to Kei Nishikori at the Canadian Open. He's currently working with Dimitris Chatzinikolaou.
Tsitsipas' results have stagnated this year, and aside from a title at the Monte-Carlo Masters, his results have been mostly underwhelming. He also dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in five years.
As such, Tsitsipas needs a new direction to revitalize his game. He has been surpassed by the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, both players who are younger than him. Adding Brad Gilbert to his coaching team could be the kick that he needs to get back on top.
#1 - Elena Rybakina
This year has been quite tough for Elena Rybakina. She started off strong as she bagged three titles from five finals during the first four months of the season. However, her health issues started impacting her more and more over the next few months. While she has always been prone to injury and sickness, this year has been particularly hard for her on the health front.
To make things worse, Rybakina also parted ways with her long-time coach Stefano Vukov, who had been with her since February 2019. The Kazakh is now at a crossroads professionally, and her next decision could have a huge impact on her career.
Brad Gilbert would be a big switch-up in terms of a coach for Rybakina, given his contrasting personality compared to Vukov. He also had a huge impact on Gauff's game in a short period, and could do the same with the Kazakh.