Not Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner: Brad Gilbert names the ATP star he wants to coach

Brad Gilbert has said he would consider coaching another ATP player if the right opportunity came along.

His most recent coaching stint was with Coco Gauff, which he concluded in September 2024.

Before that, it had been quite a while since he’d worked with anyone on the men’s side, with his last trial coming back in 2012 alongside Sam Querrey.

Speaking after Jack Draper and Joao Fonseca’s campaigns at Indian Wells, Gilbert shared who he’d be most interested in working with on the ATP Tour outside of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

The American coach was initially hired as an advisor to Gauff but ultimately took over when her full-time coach stepped back just before Wimbledon. That change proved crucial for Gauff, who went on to win her first Grand Slam title at the US Open under Gilbert’s guidance.

Brad Gilbert names Joao Fonseca as the ATP player he’d most like to coach

Draper’s Indian Wells title defence ended in the quarterfinals against Daniil Medvedev, shortly after returning from a bone injury in his left arm.

Reflecting on Draper’s tournament, Gilbert spoke highly of the Brit, placing him just behind Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

“I felt bad for Draper, who has barely played in the last nine months,” Gilbert said on The Big T Podcast.

“He played unbelievably well against [Novak] Djokovic, and honestly, I had no idea that he could fly around the court the way he can, his defending ability, his open stance and how well he did on long rallies, I mean, this guy is legit.

“If he could just have this one word, availability, for a sustained period of time, I do think potentially he’s the third best player in the world.”

Gilbert backed both to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner eventually but singled out Fonseca as the player he’d most like to work with.

“The hype is real on Fonseca, the match he played against Sinner, that’s one match,” said Gilbert. “Obviously, he’s ranked lower, but if you gave me one player to coach outside of Sinner and Alcaraz, because what a joy it would be to coach one of those guys, I would coach Fonseca.

“I do think he has the artillery to get in the mix with those guys, because he can take the racket out of your hand. I think that Jack has a lot more variety and he moves better, but if you asked me, those are the next two, and we need more guys to jump in the mix, to make it more interesting, it can’t just always be Alcaraz and Sinner!”

Fonseca is currently coached by Guilherme Teixeira, who has been with him since he was 12 years old. Whether there will be any change in that setup remains to be seen.

Brad Gilbert’s coaching record at Grand Slams

Gilbert has a long history of working with top players, including Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, and, more recently, Gauff.

Across his coaching career, Gilbert has guided three different players to a combined total of eight Grand Slam titles.

This includes helping Gauff to her first major at the 2023 US Open and supporting Roddick during his only Slam win in New York back in 2003.

Six of Agassi’s eight majors came during his eight-year partnership with Gilbert, who played a key role in shaping the former world number one’s career.

Agassi once called Gilbert ‘the greatest coach of all time’, and there’s little doubt he could bring valuable guidance to Fonseca as he looks to take the next step in his development.

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