{"id":299079,"date":"2023-12-05T06:54:14","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T06:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/?p=299079"},"modified":"2023-12-05T06:54:14","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T06:54:14","slug":"meet-coco-gauffs-game-changer-preaching-positive-thoughts-that-took-on-murray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/tennis\/meet-coco-gauffs-game-changer-preaching-positive-thoughts-that-took-on-murray\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Coco Gauff’s game-changer ‘preaching positive thoughts’ that took on Murray"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Coco Gauff has had a year to remember, winning her first Grand Slam at the US Open and rising to World No. 3. The 19-year-old started the year by winning the ASB Classic in New Zealand but could only reach the fourth round of the Australian Open and although she progressed to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, her first-round Wimbledon exit did not offer any indicator of what might be about to follow.<\/p>\n

A sudden upturn in fortunes during the American hard court season coincided with former player Brad Gilbert joining her coaching staff and the results are no happy accident.<\/p>\n

It had been well known that Gauff had been working hard to improve her forehand – the weakest part of her game – and after bringing in Gilbert as a consultant in August the former ATP world No. 4 was able to bring her game to another level.<\/p>\n

No sooner had the 62-year-old arrived on her team, the triumphs started to come. Gauff won the Mubadala Citi DC Open without dropping a set before securing her third WTA title of the year at the Cincinnati Open just two weeks later.<\/p>\n

That paved the way for her maiden Grand Slam success in New York, when Gauff saw off World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to fulfil the promise she had shown since bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n

Former Grand Slam winner Pam Shriver felt that Guaff’s decision to return to the United States and work with Gilbert was a masterstroke.<\/p>\n

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Shriver to the WTA: \u201cI was concerned about Coco, and then just look how she finished out the summer. I feel like the voice of BG (Brad Gilbert) helped her enormously. That was probably the most important thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes he alter her forehand grip? I don\u2019t think he\u2019s going to mess with it too much. He\u2019s preaching positive thoughts and good habits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would add that there have been a lot of great tennis champions who didn\u2019t have a devastating forehand \u2014 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Stefan Edberg, for example. And there were some times where Venus Williams\u2019 forehand sometimes broke down under attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe point is, when you have all the tools that Coco has on the tennis court \u2014 the backhand, the movement, the ability to go forward \u2014 you don\u2019t need the best forehand in the game to win many, many majors and get to No 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think she\u2019s going to go into 2024 feeling a heck of a lot more confident, comfortable and secure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether he has altered Guaff’s forehand or not, there is no denying that Gilbert has plenty of experience when it comes to coaching champions. He was Andre Agassi’s coach when the American won the US Open in 1994 and coached compatriot Andy Roddick to his only Grand Slam title at the same tournament in 2003.<\/p>\n

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