Coco Gauff has shared the reason for her coach Brad Gilbert’s noticeable absence from her player box at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. After receiving a first-round bye, Gauff, seeded No. 3, faced fellow American player Sachia Vickery, with the young athlete securing a hard-earned 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win.
During Gauff’s challenging match in Stuttgart, Gilbert was attending the LA premiere of tennis film ‘Challengers,’ starring Zendaya. The experienced coach, who has trained players like Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick, played a major part in creating the film, spending three months training the cast.
After her win, Gauff answered questions about Gilbert’s absence, jokingly dismissing the idea that he preferred to be with Zendaya than her. She explained that she’d asked Gilbert to “step back,” allowing former French tennis player Jean-Christophe Faurel, with whom she worked in 2019, to independently manage one tournament as a new addition to her coaching team.
Gauff also mentioned that Gilbert would be back with her at the Madrid Open, emphasizing that he’s not expected to be with her at every tournament but will attend major events. She revealed that her initial partnership with Faurel was ended not by personal choice, but by visa issues.
Gauff proceeded to confirm that Gilbert would rejoin them for the Madrid Open, and she is happy with her coaching team. She stated, “I think I found the team that I really like right now, and hopefully, it can last long term.” Awaiting Gauff in the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart tournament are either Marta Kostyuk or Zheng Qinwen.
