Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Fires Shots at Brad Gilbert as Coco Gauff’s Recurring Issue Resurfaces

The remarks made by renowned tennis coach Brad Gilbert about Coco Gauff’s forehand development have garnered attention lately. However, the former coach of Serena Williams, Rennae Stubbs, has a different take, highlighting the value of proactive coaching and Gauff’s game’s scope for development.

Coco Gauff’s defeat in the Indian Wells while playing against Maria Sakkari brought attention to her need for improvement in her forehand skills. Her coach, Brad Gilbert, suggested that fixing this would be quite difficult. In response to this, Stubbs highlighted the need to be more careful about teaching how to perform better rather than accepting the “weakness” of a player.

Rennae Stubbs on Coco Gauff’s coach’s approach to her game

During a discussion on Coco Gauff’s skills, Stubbs responded to Gilbert’s comments by saying that it is ‌not right to rule out the potential of improving Gauff’s forehand. Stubbs encouraged Gilbert to take a comprehensive approach to player development, taking into account the technical, mental, and physical components of the game, based on her vast experience working with legends like Serena Williams in the tennis world. “You can’t be a coach and say, You’re not going to work on someone’s weakness. And as much as he’s helped her in so many ways. And as much as he’s helped her in so many ways,” Subbs said on her podcast.

Further addressing the forehand skills of Coco Gauff that need to be improved, she said, “You have to say her forehand, and her second serve is letting her down. So what are you doing in regards to that, and as far as I’m concerned, until she gets those more reliable, which is what she was doing through the US Open swing.”

The whole incident transpired after Gauff’s coach, Brad Gilbert, opened up about how players find it harder than they think to adapt their technique. His comment that “not everybody” can make regular tweaks like Rafael Nadal or Andre Agassi made some fans unhappy.

Read more: 20-Year-Old Coco Gauff Cuts an Idolizing Figure as American Peer Sends Adulatory Message

Gilbert’s insights on Gauff’s scope of improvement

Even though Coco Gauff has been successful, some analysts still point out that the US Open champion’s forehand needs improvement. However, Gilbert has stated that he believes Gauff should concentrate more on playing to her strengths rather than attempting to alter her technique. “Not everybody is like Rafa, that can make changes all the time. Andre was another one that liked to tinker all the time, but not all players are like that,” Gilbert pointed out in the podcast called “Served with Andy.”

“I think sometimes people think and even club players think it’s so easy to fix something like that,” he further added. After the comments, Rennae Stubbs came forward and encouraged Gilbert to accept the challenge of improving Gauff’s forehand instead of accepting its alleged shortcomings.

Also read: Coco Gauff Receives Moral Reassurance With a Reality Check About Her Tennis Future – ‘She Serves Harder’