Coco Gauff remains on the lookout for a new tennis coach after parting ways with the world-renowned Brad Gilbert.
Gauff thanked Gilbert for their time together, with the duo having worked with one another since July 2023.
Gilbert will also be on the lookout for a new player to guide, having previously worked with the likes of Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Andy Murray.
Roddick thinks Gauff will take her time selecting her next coach, with the 2024 major season now over following the conclusion of the US Open.
WTA star Gauff won her maiden Grand Slam title under Gilbert, clinching the US Open title at Flushing Meadows this time last year.
Maria Sharapova reacts to Coco Gauff splitting with Brad Gilbert
But she has endured a difficult time on the court since then, with the American clearly wanting to take her game in a different direction.
Five-time major champion Maria Sharapova has now shared her verdict on Gauff’s decision, telling US Weekly: “I think Coco has an amazing head on her shoulders and knows that there will be changes in her team throughout the years.
“What you need at a certain point in your career is not what you need later in your career. I was very fortunate with the teams that I had.
“I still remain very close to all of my coaches. They’re such big team members and they carry so much weight. A team is really important. It takes time to build trust and learn from [your team] and accept their advice. But it’s a fun journey.”
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka proving hard to beat
At just 20 years old, Gauff has a long and successful career ahead, with plenty of ups and downs expected.
She burst onto the scene as a youngster with that superb Grand Slam success on home soil, and it certainly won’t be her last major title.
But such is the nature of tennis, the American cannot expect to be at the very top of her game at all times.
That is particularly true because of the superb standard of tennis being played by the likes of fellow WTA stars Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka.
Coco Gauff can take lessons from Maria Sharapova
A new coach could definitely reignite Gauff’s career, with former world number Sharapova certainly well aware what it is like to have made a high-profile split from a coach.
Having just won her third Grand Slam in 2008, the Russian parted ways with her father and long-time coach Yuri Sharapov.
Explaining the decision, Sharapova said: “At that point, I had just won my third Grand Slam. Perhaps in a different situation or [for] a different player, that wouldn’t be a time to stop with your coach or your father, but I just wanted to fly on my own.
“I wanted to figure things out. I was in my early 20s and I just felt ready, even though he still remained a big part of my career.”
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