Coco Gauff‘s US Open journey this year has been anything but a fairy tale. The young American sensation, who once had the tennis world at her feet, stumbled in her quest to defend her title at the final Grand Slam of the year. Not only did she fall short in her title defense, but she also struggled to leave a significant mark in most of the major tournaments she played this season. As Gauff reflects on what went wrong, her coach, Brad Gilbert, has offered some insights that might just explain her subpar performance. 

In what was a rematch of Wimbledon 2024, the 20-year-old witnessed a shocking defeat against Emma Navarro in the fourth round of the US Open. Like Gauff, there were many other tennis stars, like Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, who despite shining at the Olympics failed to repeat the showdown at the US Open. Amidst the discussion on what could have been the possible reason behind the series of losses, Gilbert expressed his thoughts.

Gilbert engaged in an interview with CNBC on September 4, to deliberate on a wide range of issues including Gauff’s US Open campaign. Speaking at the interview, he shared, “Every four years we had the same issue. And obviously, the toughest part is switching of the surface. We moving from the grass at Wimbledon… first, we were from clay at Roland Garros, back to grass, back to clay, and the quick turnaround.” 

Several players have highlighted the transitioning challenges this year including Rafael Nadal who opted out from Wimbledon citing the challenge. Besides, the immediate shift from the clay courts of the Paris Olympics to the hardcourts of the American swing took a toll on the physique of several players. Gauff was one of these players. Gilbert was quick to highlight this issue.

“The changing of the surface made it little more difficult. I think that was the toughest thing, but, it is what it is,” he added. Gauff failed miserably at not just the US Open but the entire hardcourt season in America. She lost her second match at the Canadian Open and the opening match itself at the Cincinnati Masters. However, her retrospection of the defeat was quite different from that of Gilbert. 

Speaking after the match, Gauff highlighted that her loss was due to mechanical reasons. “I go down on my left side a lot on my serve, and it’s something I’m aware of, but it’s tough in the moment to, I guess, try not to do it” But amidst challenging times like this, there is another discussion that is taking center stage and it’s about Gauff’s partnership with Gilbert.

Will Coco Gauff take a harsh call about Brad Gilbert amid a string of heartbreaking performances?

Coco Gauff did not witness immense success this season. In fact, other than the doubles victory at the French Open, the American star could not achieve what she would have desired. As she continues her performance, the discussion about Gauff’s partnership with Gilbert is resonating in the tennis corridors. 

Speaking after her defeat, Gauff highlighted her desire to bring in a new pair of eyes to her team. “I definitely want to get other opinions,” she said. “I think it’s also just kind of a mental hurdle that I have to get over when it comes with that. But, yeah, I definitely want to look at other things because I don’t want to lose matches like this anymore.” These statements highlight the change that Gauff thinks is crucial to improve her skills and end the drought of titles, particularly singles titles. 

As the season progresses, it would be interesting to see if the star player overcomes the woes and play some exceptional tennis in the remainder of the year.