Andy Roddick has described Coco Gauff’s new coach Brad Gilbert as a “genius” for his ability to simplify “very complex things.”
The former world No 1 declared that Gilbert is a “master strategist” and hailed the tactical approach Gauff has adopted since joining forces with the 62-year-old.
Roddick was coached by former world No 4 Gilbert from June 2003 until the end of the 2004 season. During this period, he won the 2003 US Open, finished 2003 as the year-end No 1 and reached the 2004 Wimbledon final.
Tennis legend Andre Agassi also won six of his eight Grand Slam titles under Gilbert’s guidance and once labelled him the “greatest coach of all-time.”
Gauff added the 20-time ATP titlist to her team earlier this month at the WTA 500 event in Washington – a tournament she won without dropping a set.
The world No 7 then reached the quarter-finals in Montreal last week, losing to eventual champion Jessica Pegula. The 19-year-old has continued her fine form into Cincinnati this week, where she has progressed to the semi-finals without losing a set.
Speaking on Tennis Channel Live, Roddick was full of praise for the abilities of his former coach and the impact he is already having on Gauff’s game.
“Brad is a genius at taking very complex things and simplifying them, right? ‘We’re gonna focus on these two things out out of the gate, and we’re gonna do it all practice,’ explained the American.
Great praise for coach @bgtennisnation from @andyroddick!#TCLive pic.twitter.com/vnxQz6cTan
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 19, 2023
“Then those things are covered, three days later we’re gonna add in something else. He’s very good at layering in information and kinda simplifying [the] game plan, he’s a master strategist.
“There will be no shot that any one of the opponents is gonna hit. Now there’s what they hit sometimes and what they hit under pressure, and he’s very good at finding the differentiators between those two because they’re not always the same.
“Her (Gauff) being able to get in and come to the net, I feel like she’s making those decisions before she’s actually hitting the approach shot, right? There’s a sense of commitment to it all.
“Sticking the forehand cross-court, taking big swings on the backhand, mixing up pace up the line. I just couldn’t [not] love what I’m seeing from Coco Gauff right now.”
Gauff will face world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the last four of the WTA 1000 event on Saturday. She holds an 0-7 record against the four-time major winner.
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