Coco Gauff’s Ex-Coach Sends Taylor Fritz Bold Reminder as Top Threats Get Busy in Cincinnati

The Canadian Open leveled up this year, expanding the men’s draw from 56 to 96 and stretching the event to 12 days. Yet, despite the upgrades, big names like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner opted out, and Novak Djokovic hasn’t played since 2019. “Obviously, we’re disappointed with the withdrawals,” said tournament director Karl Hale, noting upcoming talks with ATP CEO Andrea Gaudenzi to address the situation. With the top two seeds out, Taylor Fritz, now the second seed, has stormed into the semis, rising to the occasion. Amid this power vacuum, Coco Gauff’s ex-coach, Brad Gilbert, sends crucial message to Taylor Fritz amid Alcaraz and Sinner’s Canadian Open absence: it’s time to lead.

Taylor Fritz came agonizingly close to another serving shutout under the Toronto lights, but in the end, he grabbed what mattered most, a commanding win over 2024 finalist Andrey Rublev to book his place in the National Bank Open semi-finals. After fending off all 10 break points in previous rounds, Fritz delivered another serving clinic, hammering nine aces in a breezy 31-minute opener and finishing with 20 for the match, tying his personal best. He landed 79% of first serves and 64% of second serves in a match where serves ruled and rallies took the backseat.

As the dust settled and Fritz stood tall, a new voice entered the fray. Brad Gilbert has now shared the mantra that might reinforce more strength for Frits to win the Canadian Masters. With momentum building and guidance arriving, the stars may just be aligning.

Right after Taylor Fritz’s quarterfinal triumph, his coach Brad Gilbert took to X with a cheeky but fired-up reaction. “Good effort from Fritz Carlton taking out Rubles, such a great opportunity without Sin City 🏙️ Or escape from Alcaraz not there, one ☝️ of these tournaments 🏟️ you must capitalize on without them there,” he posted, blending humor and hard truth in equal measure. It was a subtle war cry, acknowledging the absence of two juggernauts: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

One fan quickly jumped into the conversation, reminding the thread of Novak Djokovic’s absence and Fritz’s daunting 0-10 head-to-head record against the Serbian. The fan quipped, “Djokovic too (his h2h with Fritz 😬),” to which Gilbert responded with a simple nod of approval: “Good call 📞.” A short reply, but it said plenty.

In the match itself, Fritz held match point at 5-4 in the second set after unleashing a serving masterclass. It looked like his 42nd straight hold was sealed, until Rublev broke through on his fourth chance to level the score and push the set into a tense tie-break. But Fritz, steeled by a red-hot run of 18 wins in his last 21 matches, locked in to seal the deal 6-3, 7-6(4), marking his 20th hard-court win of the season.

While Gilbert now stands firmly in Fritz’s corner, Taylor’s sharp words on the scheduling chaos of the North American swing are gaining traction. With stars skipping key stops and matches packed tighter than ever, his perspective is starting to echo across the tour, loud and clear from locker rooms to ATP boardrooms.

Taylor Fritz’s scheduling concerns echo as criticism mounts

This year, the North American hard-court swing has already felt the tremors of change. With the ATP’s new scheduling expansion plan in effect, the 2025 Canadian Open now stretches across 12 days instead of the usual 10. But this expansion comes at a cost; it has drastically tightened the turnaround time between Wimbledon and the start of the hard-court season, leaving players with barely any room to breathe.

Speaking on the hot-button 12-day Masters 1000 format, Taylor Fritz offered a mixed take: “To be honest, I am complaining about the length of the two-week tournaments, but at the same time, I don’t dislike playing a match and having a day off and playing a match.” It’s a balancing act that even he calls “weird”, caught between physical fatigue and mental reset.

Others have been more direct. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina didn’t mince words, calling out the ATP for failing to deliver on promises to fix the calendar chaos. And Leylah Fernandez, just 48 hours removed from lifting the Citi Open trophy, was forced to jet to Montreal for her home tournament, a brutal turnaround that didn’t sit well.

Even legends are chiming in. During the ‘Served’ podcast, Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim tackled the issue. Wertheim’s sharp take said it best: “These players are not robots!” The message is resonating far beyond the locker rooms now.

Still, amid the scheduling storm, Taylor Fritz has managed to stay composed. He just punched his ticket to the Canadian Open SF, proving once again that even under pressure, he plays with steel. 

But as Cincinnati looms fast, the broader question lingers: how long can the sport’s stars keep carrying the weight without change?