“Gauff is never satisfied. She wants to achieve things – that’s all she’s thinking about” – Coach Gilbert

The former world No 4 says Gauff’s US Open was akin to Andre Agassi’s historic 1999 French Open triumph

Coco Gauff at the 2023 WTA Finals

January 3, 2024

American Coco Gauff enjoyed a breakthrough 2023 season which saw the 19-year-old win her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open and peak at No 3 in the world rankings. But the American has very high ambitions according to coach Brad Gilbert, who told ESPN that he has been most impressed by his disciple’s maturity and movement on court.

“If you asked (Gauff) at the start of 2023, her expectations were high. She sets a high standard, and she’s driven to get better. She’s never satisfied. She wants to achieve things — that’s all she’s thinking about,” Gilbert said on ESPN. “When you’re watching a player, and you don’t have a vested interest, you can just look at it in an unbiased way. I would say probably the most unbelievable thing at a young age was just her maturity — and her movement. Those stood out.”

Coco, three different times she found herself a set down, once down a break in the third. So, she had to problem-solve.
Brad Gilbert on Coco Gauff’s US Open run

The former world No 4, who has also worked as a coach with Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray in the past, said that Gauff’s success in the second half of 2023 came down to finding a way to win in different situations, especially in New York.

Coco Gauff US Open 2023 — Frank Franklin II/AP/SIPA

“She had to figure her way out of four different matches. As I look back on it, it so reminds me of a tournament that was really special, the ’99 French Open,” Gilbert said. “Andre Agassi had to wrangle his way through five difficult matches. Coco, three different times she found herself a set down, once down a break in the third. So, she had to problem-solve. And those are the best kind of wins, where you grow the most, winning those types of matches.”

Gilbert added that he has been encouraging Gauff to become more aggressive in her approach while maintaining a balance between offense and defense at the same time.

“You know what I think about most right now? Making progress. Especially when you’re young, it’s great what you’ve achieved, but it starts over again next year. It’s the balance of both (offense and defense), Gilbert said. “Obviously, you want to win with more offense. It’s not as taxing. You have to be willing to do both. Maybe the greatest I’ve seen at both is Novak Djokovic. His ability to lock down on the court — he can at any moment. But then he also has this unbelievable ball-control offense. With Coco, that’s what we’re working toward. Keep improving, trying to get better.”