Brad Gilbert is one of the sport’s most legendary tennis coaches, leading several players to Grand Slam glory.
The American began his coaching career in 1994, working alongside Andre Agassi for eight years, helping him achieve great success.
Moving on in 2002, Gilbert joined Andy Roddick’s team as he rose to number one in the world rankings.
A short stint working with Andy Murray followed, with Gilbert guiding the Scot into the top ten back in 2007.
During the late 2000s and 2010s, the 63-year-old helped several players, including Alex Bogdanovic, Kei Nishikori, and Sam Querrey, before returning to full-time coaching in 2023.
Gilbert coached American star Coco Gauff for over a year, helping her win the biggest titles of her young career.
Now working in the media following Gilbert’s departure from Gauff’s team, he has highlighted the key differences between coaching Agassi, Roddick, and Murray.
Brad Gilbert says he had to use different tactics when coaching Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi
Appearing as a guest on the Tennis Channel, Gilbert reflected on the time he spent coaching Roddick and Agassi, explaining how the reverse psychology he used on the former would’ve had the latter ban him from the courts.
“Andy [Roddick] is a unique character. Especially going from Andre [Agassi] to coaching Andy,” he said.
“Andy is like the Metallica song Fuel to the Fire. That’s Andy. Whatever you say, he is going to say the opposite. That is his bravado and how you would pump him up.
“Andre, you could talk for three hours the night before. With Andy, you might get 10 seconds, like Mission Impossible, this message is going to implode. He is just how he is.
“Quite a few times with him, I would do my best coaching when literally I wanted him to play the forehand. I would tell him to play the backhand. Then he would look up at me in the stands and tell me how wrong I was when the guy was missing forehands.
“But if I did that with Andre, he would be like don’t come to the courts. That is the nuance that you have to learn in coaching every player that you coach.”
Gilbert went on to explain what it was like coaching Murray and highlighted just how detail-oriented the three-time Major champion was.
“Andy Murray, I would give him the game plan, and he would always, no matter what, ask why? How did you come to this conclusion?, Where are your 1000 words? Where is your data?” he said.
“I am like, I just think of this s— and give it to you! I am not going to get into too much detail.
“But no matter what, he would ask why, how did you come to this, what about if you’re wrong?”
As one of the sport’s most experienced coaches, Gilbert knows all too well how every player is different in how they approach the game.
“Part of being a coach is that you set a game plan, and sometimes it doesn’t work. Sometimes your opponent has the answer,” said Gilbert.
“But you have to be willing to make changes and find things.
“It’s the communication that is really important, but I found with all the different players that I have worked with that the communication lines can be completely different with each player that you coach.”
Brad Gilbert’s coaching record
Three players won Grand Slam titles with Gilbert as their coach, as the American guided many to the top of the game.
Andre Agassi (1994-2002)
Gilbert enjoyed the majority of his coaching success working with Agassi between 1994 and 2002.
Agassi won six Major titles during this period, enjoying multiple stints as world number one.
| Tournament | Final opponent | Score |
| 2001 Australian Open | Arnaud Clement | 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 |
| 2000 Australian Open | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 |
| 1999 US Open | Todd Martin | 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1999 French Open | Andrei Medvedev | 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1995 Australian Open | Pete Sampras | 4-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1994 US Open | Michael Stich | 6-1, 7-6, 7-5 |
The eight-time Major champion once described Gilbert as the ‘Greatest coach of all time’.
Andy Roddick (2003-2004)
Joining Roddick’s team in 2003, the pair quickly found success together, as the big-serving star won his sole Major title in New York a few months later.
Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero to win the 2003 US Open title, ascending to number one in the world rankings shortly after.
They qualified for one further Grand Slam final together at Wimbledon in 2004, before parting ways later that same year.
Coco Gauff (2023-2024)
Gilbert ended his 20-year wait for an eighth Grand Slam title as a coach when Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the 2023 US Open.
The WTA star had enjoyed a fantastic summer on North American hard courts since Gilbert joined her team, winning in Washington and Cincinnati prior to her maiden Major victory at Flushing Meadows.
Failing to defend her title in 2024, Gilbert and Gauff parted ways, with the 63-year-old now enjoying time away from the sport.
It remains to be seen if Gilbert chooses to return to coaching, but he certainly won’t be short of suitors, should he decide to do so.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
