Earlier this year, my husband and I attended the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California. Top players attend and spectators can watch the players practice and compete. I like to learn more about the players, and research both them and their coaches.
Through this research I discovered several players had split with their coaches. If the players determine they’re not performing the way they want, they seek a new coach for tips, tricks, and advice. There is a reason why professional athletes have a coach: to have someone to advise and guide them and help them overcome obstacles along the way.
When tennis professional Coco Gauff won the U.S. Open in 2023, Brad Gilbert was her coach. She parted ways with Gilbert during this past year saying she wanted a “refresh” and hoped a change would improve her game. The change proved results. In the 2025 French Open, Gauff became the first American woman to win the singles title at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2015.