Ernests Gulbis is looking for a new coach, but he says he’s not interested in hiring a big name, and is instead focused on specifics about his game.
The Latvian stopped working with Gunter Bresnik, who he had been sharing with Dominic Thiem, indicating that he wanted more time than the veteran Austrian coach could provide considering he was working with two players.
"I'm searching for not so much a tactical coach, but more of a technical coach, because I'm the kind of player who has problems maintaining his game," he said at the French Open. "...If I don't have a racquet in hand for a couple of days, I suddenly start to hit my forehand differently."
The talented by temperamental Gulbis, known for his up-and-down performances, is not aiming to find a “supercoach” despite the recent popularity of former top players being appointed to such positions.
"I don't necessarily think that a former player, no matter how good he is, is necessarily a good coach,” he said. “I think that a good coach needs to have experience ... I like that Gunter had a lot of experience, especially in the technical side of the game, because he spent probably [some] of the most hours on court of all the coaches on tour.
"He taught kids, he taught right-handed players, left-handed players, serve and volley, baseliners, juniors and older players. So his understanding of the game is very big. This is what I liked in his experience ... I think if one thing doesn't work, you have to have a backup plan. And not just one or two, but many of them. This is what I'm searching for in a coach."
Gulbis is No. 80 in the rankings. He’ll play 12th-seeded David Goffin in the fourth round of the French Open.