Coco Gauff’s coach lifts lid on boozy US Open celebrations
Coco Gauff reached the summit of the tennis world together with her triumph on the US Open per week in the past, however the teenager was the last word skilled in her celebrations. The 19-year-old defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three units at Flushing Meadows to clinch her first Grand Slam title and all indicators level in direction of her successful many extra within the years to come back.
The American turned the youngest lady to win the event since Serena Williams lifted the trophy in 1999 at simply 17. It was an unimaginable achievement that cemented her standing as a famous person in American sports activities, however she was not sufficiently old to have a good time with a drop of alcohol.
So whereas Gauff toasted her victory with a glass of water, her coach Brad Gilbert revealed he cracked open a bottle of one thing a lot stronger. “We celebrated hard,” Gilbert informed TMZ Sports. “She was drinking water, I had a little too much tequila.”
Gilbert, 62, coached males’s tennis stars Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray earlier than transitioning into broadcasting a decade in the past. But he was lured again to the observe court docket by Gauff within the wake of her shock first-round exit at Wimbledon in July.
With Gilbert providing his knowledge, Gauff has bounced again in gorgeous fashion, successful the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and the Cincinnati Masters earlier than her run to US Open glory. Gilbert stated it was a privilege to be a part of Gauff’s workforce.
“Coco is an unimaginable child. She’s humble, she’s hard-working and her journey is simply starting,” he stated.
“She would tell you, it’s just about getting better. Listen, everyone wants to do incredible things but she has a great opportunity in front of her to continue to do some great things.”
The tournament ended in glory for Gauff and Gilbert, but the pair were involved in a fiery exchange on the court during her Round of 16 clash with Caroline Wozniacki. After taking the first set, Gauff’s game started to desert her with the former world No. 1 threatening an epic comeback.
Gilbert tried to share some advice with his pupil late in the second set, but she responded “Just stop.” Gauff ultimately rallied and surged to victory within the last set. And after the match, she gave her facet of the story.
“Obviously, my coaches give me the gameplan and sometimes I do tell them to chill a little bit because I like to think and figure out matches my own way,” she stated. “A bit of recommendation helps, so I do pay attention and generally it is a stress response.”