Brad Gilbert announces end of coaching relationship with Coco Gauff

The coaching relationship between Brad Gilbert and Coco Gauff is over after a little more than a year, Gilbert announced on his social media channels on Wednesday.

Gilbert confirmed the split with a post to his X, formerly Twitter, account, of which he is an avid user.

"Thanks to Coco Gauff and the entire team for an absolutely amazing summer run in 2023 and for 14 months of incredible team effort," he wrote. "Coco, at just 20 years young, your future is incredibly bright, and I wish you nothing but continued success ahead."

Gilbert, who also works in the sport as a commentator, added that he was excited for the "next step" in his coaching career, which previously consisted of stints with Andre Agassi, Andy Murray, and Andy Roddick.

Gauff later thanksed Gilbert for an "incredible run" in a follow-up post to her own X account.

Gauff and Gilbert first started working together in the summer of 2023, with the American as a co-coach with Pere Riba of Spain. The duo helped Gauff put together a torrid run in which she won three titles in Washington, D.C., Cincinnati and her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open. Riba eventually left the team in the waning months of last year, leaving Gilbert as Gauff's chief coaching voice.

But after a strong start to 2024, which included winning her seventh career WTA singles title in Auckland, New Zealand, and reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open, Gauff sputtered through the spring and summer. After losing to Iga Swiatek for the 11th time in 12 meetings in the semifinals of Roland Garros (after which Gauff reached a career-high ranking of No. 2, and also won the doubles title with Katerina Siniakova), she cut a frustrated on-court figure when she was beaten in the last two Grand Slams in the round of 16, both times by fellow American Emma Navarro.

She later admitted to "mentally just literally collapsing\]" against Navarro in her straight-sets Centre Court defeat, and against Navarro in New York, [Gauff racked up 19 double faults and 60 unforced errors in a three-set loss. She also failed to medal at the Paris Olympics, despite competing in all three events, and lost earlier in both WTA 1000 events in the lead-up to the US Open: in Toronto to Diana Shnaider, her first career loss to a player younger than year, and in her Cincinnati defense to Yulia Putintseva from 4-2 up in the third set.

Gauff, now ranked No. 6, is expected to return to action at the WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing, which begins on Sept. 25.