Tennis fans were quick to take aim at Coco Gauff’s ex-coach, Brad Gilbert, after he admitted he sought a preferential scheduling change for the American during the 2023 US Open. On the Big T podcast, Gilbert admitted to pulling strings and getting Gauff’s quarterfinal match against Jelena Ostapenko shifted from the night session to the daytime.
Gauff obliterated the Latvian in the match and went on to win the maiden Grand Slam title of her professional career.
“Yeah, I got it switched from a night match to 12 in the day. See, that’s where you have to, everyone once in a while, pull a couple of things to get something done,” Gilbert said on the Big T podcast.
Fans called out Gilbert for his comments and criticized him for his earlier remark about Iga Swiatek’s decision to play daytime matches across various WTA events and Grand Slams. During the 2025 Cincinnati Open, Gilbert had questioned whether Swiatek and her team had made a habit of requesting the first slot of the day.
“You don’t even have to look at schedule and know Iga pop on first at 11am. Wonder [if] her team ask for that or just happens that way a lot,” Gilbert tweeted.
Fans quickly pointed this out.
“And he was saying that Iga had a preferential treatment for playing day sessions. What a pathetic loser he is,” one fan commented.
“Bet he pulled the strings to put iga penko to night session as well to start the charade,” another fan commented.
“Isn’t this the same guy who was complaining about Iga getting daytime matches?” yet another fan commented.
Other fans called out the US Open for apparently giving in to Gilbert’s request.
“Was an absolutely disgusting move by the US Open to allow that to be the case,” one fan commented.
“Mind you, at the time, people whacked Penko HARD for saying the schedule had changed after being told it was a night match and then whacked her some more for sour grapes,” another fan commented.
“Damn, that’s kinda devious,” yet another commented.
Coco Gauff’s 2026 Went From Bad to Worse After a Scary Arm Injury at Indian Wells
2026 hasn’t been a favorable year for the reigning Roland Garros champion, who was predicted to make a big impact this season. Her trophyless run on the Australian swing was accentuated by a similar run on the Middle East swing, with many fans pointing to her on-court inconsistencies and disappointing play compared to recent years.
Gauff has not only slipped out of the top 3 but is also struggling to establish a rhythm on court. On Sunday, Gauff pulled out of her R3 match against Alexandra Eala after suffering from serious pain in her left forearm, which she explained in the post-game press conference.
“I felt it, like, the second game of the first set. I guess a simple way to put it is that it felt like a firework went off in my arm, and then my whole arm felt like it was on fire. Yeah, we’re going to figure out what it is tomorrow, but based on the feeling, being told that it’s probably something nerve-related,” Gauff said.
“Never had anything like this before, never felt anything, a sensation like this before… It felt like fireworks at times. Yeah, it was a scary feeling, but yeah, I don’t know,” she added.
For now, the two-time Grand Slam champion is hopeful that she can be fit in time for the final tournament of the Sunshine Swing in Miami, FL, which commences on March 16.
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