Unfortunately for world number six Coco Gauff, one of those changes came after her fourth-round defeat at the US Open as she has now split with coach Brad Gilbert. Gilbert's 

announcement — which came Wednesday — was hardly a controversial one, as Gauff faced adversity this summer for the first time since capturing our neighboring nations engrossed with her whirlwind run in London; she struggled to maintain continuity following that triumph and needed new faces to help chart the next stage of her career.

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How Patrick Mouratoglou motivated Memorize Gauff during US Open What is Andy Gilbert's relationship to the rise of Gauff? Gilbert was instrumental in advancing Giorgia through the fierce player and seized her first Grand Slam award at last year's US Open. But, this year, Gauff found it difficult to reproduce his last year's effort. Novak Djokovic had his detractors, but Muguruza comes to New York with the same concerns after losing in her first match at both key testing grounds in Toronto and Cincinnati leading up to the final Grand Slam of the year.

Goodbye Messages

In his goodbye message on X, Gilbert thanked, "Thanks @CocoGauff and the team all time 2022 summer, nearly 14 months from an amazing team job. Coco, you are just 20 years old and your career is very promising ahead so I wish you all the best! Here's to the next chapter as I work with Owner Jim Irsay and General Manager Chris Ballard of the Indianapolis Colts." The American also posted on social media to thank him too for the 'countless' memories they got to share together. "We've had a dream life, I wish you the best of success in the future!" Reflecting on the bond she built with X throughout their coaching relationship, she wrote:

Maneuvering Pressure and Expectations

Gauff, who broke through with a four-set victory in the 2023 US Open final last September, has endured an up-and-down season this year. Following her Grand Slam breakthrough, she made the semi-finals of both Australian Open and French Open, ensuring her status as a member of women's tennis' aristocracy. But the inconsistency heading into the US Open has forced her to reevaluate her approach and team. It was not always easy between Gauff and Gilbert. Those tensions surfaced on the Wimbledon lawns during a loss to countrywoman Emma Navarro in the fourth round, with Gauff letting out an audible "C'mon!" on one point; by first-round main-draw losses at three of nine U.S. It then became apparent the stress not only on the athlete but also on the coach and those around Gauff who struggled with heightened expectations for their young charge to be able to sustain herself at the top.

What's Next: Fresh Start

Gauff will now presumably turn her attention toward finding a new coach that can help guide her as she continues to develop as both a tennis player and an off-court face of the game. Despite her talent, the nascent athlete has got time on her side and she competes ferociously, so much so that some believe that she can have a great future in this sport. While Gilbert's future in the NFL currently is unknown, his storied coaching history likely will leave a space open for him somewhere on some team.

With a resume of having coached a list of top players in the past, Gilbert is more than ready to move into the next phase of his coaching career & who knows, maybe one day he will be able to impart wisdom on another athlete and witness their acdotre. With a tennis world looking on, Gualtieri says those saved qualities of Gilbert and Gauff are each set to go out on their new ventures. Gauff's story, in many ways just beginning, will no doubt be intriguing as she looks to grow on and off the court in elite competition.

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