Coco Gauff has split from coach Brad Gilbert after more than a year and a Grand Slam title togetherthe two men announced on Wednesday via separate messages on social media.
The end of their partnership comes 2 1/2 weeks after Gauff defended her 2023 US Open title. untangled amid 19 double faults in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Emma Navarro in the fourth round at Near Flushing.
This defeat of September 1 was the last in a series disappointing results for her in recent months for Gauff, a 20-year-old American who recently moved from third to sixth in the WTA rankings.
It was after a first-round exit at Wimbledon last season that Gauff really took off with the help of coaching duo Gilbert and Pere Riba. Riba was not with her this year.
Gauff went 22-1 during a stretch in 2023 that included trophies in Washington, Cincinnati and the U.S. Open — her first at a major — all while still a teenager.
Gilbert posted on social media Wednesday to thank Gauff “and the entire team for an absolutely incredible summer race in 2023 and for 14 months of incredible team effort.”
“Coco, at only 20 years old, your future is incredibly bright, and I wish you nothing but continued success.” wrote Gilberta former pro who has worked with players like Andre Agassi, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick in the past. “I’m looking forward to starting the next chapter of my coaching career.”
In his message on Wednesday, Gauff thanked Gilbert and added: “We had an incredible run and I wish you all the best for the future!”
Their tenure also included semi-final appearances by Gauff at the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June, losing to the eventual champions of both editions.
At Wimbledon in July, Gauff was eliminated in the fourth round — also to Navarro — and there were some Mid-match exchanges of points between Gauff and Gilbert to Centre Court to see what an alternative game plan might be.
“I wanted more direction,” Gauff said after that match.
She eliminated in the third round of the singles at the Paris Olympic Games after being the female flag bearer for the American teamGauff then fell in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Summer Games with losses on the same day in her second matches in both events.
After making the switch from clay to hard courts, Gauff completed a double at the Toronto and Cincinnati Open before returning to the US Open as the defending champion.
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Tennis AP: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
