At Citi Open, Coco Gauff is Working with Brad Gilbert Throughout “Rebuilding Period”

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday July 31, 2023

Coco Gauff not too long ago employed Pere Riba, former ATP participant and coach of China’s Zheng Qinwen, to interchange not too long ago departed coach Diego Moyano. Now, she’s introduced in Brad Gilbert to place an additional set of eyeballs on her recreation.

The American has been filmed practising with Gilbert and Riba each on the courtroom on the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

“It’s something that I’m literally just starting,” Gauff mentioned of Gilbert. “I’m really open to learning from the game and learning from people and getting different perspectives, so I think that it will help me.”

19-year-old Gauff, presently ranked seventh in singles, has had properly publicized struggles on the forehand aspect of late; and she or he says she is presently in rebuilding mode.

“I definitely do feel like I’m in a rebuilding period,” she informed reporters. “I’m trying to hit the next gear of my game. I feel like I have the foundation in my game. Now it’s building around that, it’s building the house. I have the land and I need to build the house on top of it, make it as extravagant and big and pretty as possible.

“I am trying to be more positive of myself and accept that I’m learning, not a different way to play, but I’m learning to enhance the way I play. So I’m trying to make sure my first instincts are always the right decision, whether I make the ball or not.”

👀 https://t.co/dsntaWMbhY

— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) July 30, 2023

At the second it isn’t clear if Gilbert will be part of the staff full-time, however primarily based on Gauff’s phrases, it does sound just like the American is open to having a coach with world-class expertise. Gilbert, a former World No.4, has coached Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and plenty of others on the high stage of the game.

“I think have done a good job communicating amongst themselves before they bring anything to me. So I really feel we’re all on one page and one accord,” Gauff mentioned. “I think having someone with a little bit more experience will help me for the pressure moments, the semifinals, finals, quarterfinals. Those moments that I still think I need to get better at.”