Who Is Coco Gauff’s Coach? Meet Former Tennis Pro Brad Gilbert

Coco Gauff has one big support system, including her parents and boyfriend. But perhaps no one has better words of wisdom than her coach, Brad Gilbert.

Gilbert, 62, joined Coco’s team as a consultant in late July 2023 before taking over as her coach, according to the US Open. But Coco recently made headlines when she called out her team after losing to No.19 seed Emma Navarro at Wimbledon.

“I don’t always ask for advice on the box. Today was one of those rare moments where I felt like I didn’t have solutions,” she told reporters following the match. “I don’t want to say I didn’t have any, because I think I’m a capable player of coming up with some. I think today mentally there was a lot going on. I felt like I wanted more direction from the box.”

Coco added that ultimately, she feels responsible for her loss. “No one’s to blame except myself,” she said. “I mean, I’m the player out there. I have to make decisions for myself on the court.”
These were rare words from Coco, who’s usually pretty in sync with her coaching squad, which includes Gilbert and Jean-Christophe Faurel. Gilbert is credited with helping propel Coco to win the US Open in 2023, which marked her first Grand Slam.

Prior to working with Coco, Gilbert had a surprising role: He trained Zendaya and her co-stars for the buzzy new tennis drama Challengers.

Ahead, here’s everything you need to know about Coco Gauff’s coach,
Brad Gilbert is a former professional tennis player.
He played from 1982 to 1995, per ESPN. He played in college at Pepperdine, where he was an All American and the NCAA singles finalist in 1982.

Gilbert went on to play professionally, always finishing high in the overall rankings. In 1989, he finished #6, and in 1990, he finished at #10. That same year, he accomplished his highest ranking of #4.
He’s an ESPN tennis analyst.
Before coaching Coco, Gilbert was a tennis analyst and sideline reporter for ESPN. He started with the sports entertainment company in 2004, before taking a break to coach Andy Murray. He returned to his role in 2008.

He’s married to Kim Gilbert.
Brad is married to Kim Gilbert, who works in athlete concierge, tennis management, and player consulting, according to her LinkedIn. She worked on Challengers alongside her husband.

The couple attended the Challengers premiere, with Kim calling out their role on the film.

“Brad and I worked together as Husband and Wife duo – Technical Consultants in tennis,” she wrote in her Instagram caption, per People. “What an evolution of a tennis career and team work.”
In 2022, Gilbert took on a surprising new position: He worked as a coach to Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor as they prepared to play tennis champs in the Luca Guadagnino film Challengers.

To get Zendaya camera-ready, he and his wife Kim Gilbert (who also worked as a consultant on the film) sent the actress hours of tapes, focusing on matches from some of the strongest players in the world (think Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, and Maria Sharapova). They then completed three months of training in Malibu, followed by six weeks of rehearsals in Boston.

During practice, each actor would train on a separate court with an individual coach. They’d shadow the movements of each point, which Gilbert and Guadagnino had written out, labeled, and timed.