By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday July 31, 2023
Earlier this summer Coco Gauff hired Pere Riba, former ATP player and coach of China’s Zheng Qinwen, to replace recently departed coach Diego Moyano.
Now, she’s brought in Brad Gilbert to put an extra set of eyeballs on her game.
The American has been filmed practicing with Gilbert and Riba both on the court at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
“It's something that I'm literally just starting,” Gauff said 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, currently ranked seventh in singles, has had well publicized struggles on the forehand side of late; she didn't talk specifically of that wing, but admitted on Sunday that she is currently in rebuilding mode.
“I definitely do feel like I'm in a rebuilding period,” she told 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.”
At the moment it isn’t clear if Gilbert will join the team full-time, but based on Gauff’s words, it does sound like the American is open to having a coach with world-class experience. Gilbert, a former World No.4, has coached Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and many others at the top level of the sport.
“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 said. “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.”