Last year, Serena Williams carried the hope of the country’s Grand Slam aspirations. This year, it is Coco Gauff. Her incredible form meant that everybody trained their spotlight on her. With the modifications to her coaching and strategy team, she improved by leaps and bounds. And since Gauff has been delivering consistently in high-pressure situations, 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert has taken notice. She sees a “different Coco Gauff.”

The American tennis legend and current ESPN tennis commentator Chris Evert had a lot of positive feedback for Gauff. Most importantly, she pointed out a crucial difference that she had noticed in the resilient teen – a qualitative change that could determine her course in tennis.

Chris Evert on Coco Gauff and Brad Gilbert’s tennis journey

Ever since Gauff caught people’s attention at the tender age of 15, a lot was expected of her. But she wanted more than just a few wins here and there. She wanted to show that she could go toe-to-toe with the best players, and not just play a few good matches only to lose to Top-10 players. After a tough loss at Wimbledon 2023, she knew she needed to make changes. As fate would have it, she would receive a blessing in the form of Andre Agassi’s former coach, Brad Gilbert.

Amidst his commentary duties at Wimbledon, fate intervened when Gauff’s agent reached out to him, propelling a meeting that would change the trajectory of the young tennis player’s journey. Conversations flowed, ideas were exchanged, and a path was forged – one that led to Evert recently conceding: “I see a different Coco Gauff.”

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As reported by USA Today, Evert further added, “He’s been one of the most accomplished coaches around for the past 30 years, and I believe that’s given her an advantage she didn’t have before. Her attitude, and her confidence especially, seem to have grown to the point where I truly think she believes she can win.”

Gilbert’s impact on Gauff’s game is apparent to all as the 19-year-old American keeps winning championships and is determined to be a strong contender for the US Open ’23. With the ‘winning ugly’ mindset in place, the horizon has been blown open for the current World No. 6.

Gauff’s winning streak and the US Open quest

In a recent interview with USA TODAY, Coco Gauff herself admitted that she entered this year’s US Open with a much stronger sense of confidence. And why not? After all, the North American swing has been heavily in favor of the teen sensation.

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In the past few weeks, Coco Gauff had a formidable run at the Canadian Open and went on to clinch the Citi Open and Western and Southern Open titles.

Gauff elaborated that she’s become skilled at finding solutions when faced with challenges and has realized that she’s capable of securing victories even when her performance isn’t at its peak. She also shared one of her biggest takeaways from her new team: “I think the most I’ve learned over the course of this summer is that I don’t have to play A-plus tennis to win. I do feel I’m much more confident in my B or C game.”

In tennis, having a skilled coach can truly change the game. Brad Gilbert and Pere Riba’s part in Coco Gauff’s story illustrates how coaching and encouragement can enhance a player’s skills and make the game more enjoyable. One test of their impact remains, though. Will Coco raise her first Grand Slam title this year?

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