Brad Gilbert — tennis junkie, junkballer, commentator, coach of legends — had roughly seven minutes to trade his coaching hat for a microphone, to shift from helping Coco Gauff manage her third-round match Friday night to interviewing Novak Djokovic in the tunnel before his.
“Been coming to this place since 1981,” Gilbert, who travels with an espresso machine, said between sips of coffee as he headed to his office, a.k.a. the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, on Saturday morning. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
For 40 years, he has been a near-ubiquitous presence in the sport, rising through the 1980s to the No. 4 ranking in the world, despite his quirky, awkward, ugly strokes, then pivoting to coaching and television work, often at the same time, in that hybrid way that is oddly common in tennis. Andre Agassi had him at his side when he won the U.S. Open in 1994, as did Andy Roddick, in 2003.
Now, at 62 and a decade removed from top-level coaching, Gilbert is back in the trenches and quickly becoming a star of this year’s U.S. Open, albeit in a supporting role to the 19-year-old Gauff, who is among the biggest stars of this quintessentially American tennis party. One minute, Gilbert is chatting and applauding Gauff through a practice session. The next, he’s hustling through the crowds, fist-bumping fans who treat him like an old buddy on his way up to the ESPN commentary booth to mingle with a decidedly older set of stars from his era, such as Chris Evert, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver.
“A very funny man,” Gauff said earlier this summer of Gilbert, whose coaching exploits she knew little about, since, as she pointed out with a giggle, they mostly happened before she was born. “I didn’t want to be with someone who’s a wall. But he’s definitely not a wall.”
Tennis fans love and hate his nerdy player nicknames. Stan Wawrinka, the Swiss tank of a player, is “Stanimal.” Carlos Alcaraz is “Escape from Alcaraz.” And on and on.
Last year took an unconventional turn. For nearly a decade, Gilbert had been working with junior players on private courts in California. Then the phone rang with an odd request.
After Gauff lost in the first round at Wimbledon in July, another disappointing Grand Slam result for a player who believes she is ready to win the biggest titles, he got a call from her team. They wanted him to speak with her parents about sharing his been-there wisdom as an adviser alongside Gauff’s new and somewhat-inexperienced coach, Pere Riba.
Gauff’s shortcomings were hardly a mystery: a shaky forehand and serve in tight moments; a struggle to maximize her prodigious strengths — her speed and ability to cover the court, her fitness, her blazing backhand, a laserlike first serve.
Used the right way, those tools have gotten her far. Maybe Gilbert’s brain could get her over the line.
“He loved discussing matchups, how to get to people’s weaknesses,” said Andy Murray, who worked with Gilbert earlier in his career. “It was very focused on the strategy and finding ways to win matches.”
Gilbert and Gauff’s team have kept quiet about the specific ways he has helped her, but anyone who watches him and hears what he says from her box during matches can figure it out: Know what’s coming, and play to your strengths.
“Make it physical, Coco,” is a constant refrain, a reminder that she can chase down balls all night long if she wants to, taking the legs and the heart out of opponents.
Gilbert has little use for the statistics that have come into fashion among many elite teams. He ignores the screen in the coaching box that gives coaches real-time data. “I trust my eyes,” he said.
He has been trying to introduce Gauff to his music, sending her links to songs by Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and the Eagles. Gauff, a fan of City Girls — a Miami hip-hop duo featuring artists Yung Miami and JT — has yet to share her thoughts.
Still, at the moment, she and her team have every reason to trust his eyes, too. Gauff has won two of her first three tournaments with him on the team, and 14 of 15 matches, including three at the U.S. Open.
Source: .nytimes.com/2023/09/02/sports/tennis/us-open-coco-gauff-brad-gilbert.html
Club Championships Sunday Play Oct 15
/in Club Championships, Club News /by RobLink for Sunday Order of Play.
Draws Manly 2023 Club Championships – Sunday Order of Play
PLEASE CHECK FOR ANY DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN DRAW & ORDER OF PLAY.
Actual draws for the Annual Club Championships are linked here.
Thank you to Christine Thompson for preparing the draws!
Good luck to all competitors.
Club Championships Saturday Play Oct 14
/in Club Championships, Club News /by RobLink for Saturday Order of Play.
PLEASE CHECK FOR ANY DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN DRAW & ORDER OF PLAY.
Draws Manly 2023 Club Championships – Saturday Order of Play
Actual draws for the Annual Club Championships are linked here.
Thank you to Christine Thompson for preparing the draws!
Good luck to all competitors.
Annual Club Championships 2023 Draws
/in Club Championships, Club News /by RobDraws for the Annual Club Championships have been posted. Events are:
Here’s the link.
Thank you to Christine Thompson for preparing the draws!
Good luck to all competitors.
Acknowledgement NSW Grant: LED Lights
/in Club News /by RobOn behalf of the Manly Lawn Tennis Club, we express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the New South Wales Government for awarding a generous grant of $10,000, aimed to facilitate the installation of LED lights on courts 5 & 6.
This grant embodies a shared commitment to promoting sustainability and enhancing the sports infrastructure within our community.
The grant provided by the NSW Government was allocated to improve visibility and enhance the overall playing experience on our courts by installing advanced LED lighting systems. This effort is in alignment with our continuous pursuit to create an inclusive, safe, and high-quality environment for tennis enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels.
We believe that improved lighting will encourage increased participation and facilitate extended playing hours, allowing more members of our community to engage in physical activities and experience the joy of tennis. Enhanced visibility will also ensure the safety of our players, minimizing the risk of accidents and injuries during evening play.
We, the Manly Lawn Tennis Club, formally acknowledge the financial support received from the NSW Government, and we express our heartfelt thanks for investing in the development of local sports facilities.
Craig Withell
President
Manly Lawn Tennis Club
MLTC Newsletter – Minutes from EGM
/in Club News /by RobIn this newsletter you will find the minutes from the EGM, Membership Fees due, Club Championships.
EGM – Last Saturday we used all six courts for social and there was a large number that attended the EGM. All member’s agreed to transfer the contract to Luke Penning from the 1st October. We want to thank Scott for his 40 years of dedicated service to Manly Lawn Tennis Club, its members and the community.
Membership Fees –
Virginia
MLTC Secretary
www.manlylawn.com.au
Annual Club Championships Entries Now Open
/in Club Championships, Club News /by RobEntries for the Annual Club Championships are now open. Events are:
Open grades are for everyone.
A-Grade is Badge Division 7 or lower for Men; Division 4 and Thursday Badge for Ladies.
Scheduled dates are October 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29 November 4.
Maximum 3 entries per person.
Questions to Denis Crowley
MLTC Club Captain
MLTC Newsletter 13 Sep 2023
/in Club News /by RobManly Lawn Tennis Club Newsletter – 13 Sept 2023
EGM
Save the date 23 Sept, 4pm at the Clubhouse
Membership Fees
Membership fees are due by Thursday. You need to be financial to play in the Club Championships and to make online court bookings.
Club Captain’s Report
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS DATES
The tournament will be held on October 14, 15, 21, 2,2 28, 29 and Finals Day is November 4
Events will be the same as previous years
Open Men’s. Women’s Singles
Open Men’s Women’s Doubles
Open Mixed
A Women’s Men’s singles
A Women’s Men’s Doubles
A Mixed Doubles
Anyone can enter Open events.
The criteria for A grade Men’s is Division 8, 1,0 11 Badge players and similar standard. Division 6 Badge players and above must play Open events.
Women’s A grade criteria is Women’s Division 4 and Thursday Badge plus players of that standard.
All events will be best of 3 sets with the 3rd set a 10 point tiebreaker.
Open Events will be best of 3 tiebreak sets from semi finals onwards.
If 4 players or less entries only, a round robin may be played .
Entries will open next week online and close on October 8.
I will be overseas when the tournament is on so Christine Thompson will be organising the tournament. Please give her all your support.
Best wishes,
Virginia
MLTC Secretary
www.manlylawn.com.au
MLTC Newsletter – Badge Finals Report
/in Badge, Club News /by RobClub Captain’s Report
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
Best wishes,
Virginia
MLTC Secretary
www.manlylawn.com.au
Gilbert’s Coaching Advice to Gauff: Know what’s coming, and play to your strengths | AskThePro
/in Ask the Pro, Club News /by RobBrad Gilbert — tennis junkie, junkballer, commentator, coach of legends — had roughly seven minutes to trade his coaching hat for a microphone, to shift from helping Coco Gauff manage her third-round match Friday night to interviewing Novak Djokovic in the tunnel before his.
“Been coming to this place since 1981,” Gilbert, who travels with an espresso machine, said between sips of coffee as he headed to his office, a.k.a. the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, on Saturday morning. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
For 40 years, he has been a near-ubiquitous presence in the sport, rising through the 1980s to the No. 4 ranking in the world, despite his quirky, awkward, ugly strokes, then pivoting to coaching and television work, often at the same time, in that hybrid way that is oddly common in tennis. Andre Agassi had him at his side when he won the U.S. Open in 1994, as did Andy Roddick, in 2003.
Now, at 62 and a decade removed from top-level coaching, Gilbert is back in the trenches and quickly becoming a star of this year’s U.S. Open, albeit in a supporting role to the 19-year-old Gauff, who is among the biggest stars of this quintessentially American tennis party. One minute, Gilbert is chatting and applauding Gauff through a practice session. The next, he’s hustling through the crowds, fist-bumping fans who treat him like an old buddy on his way up to the ESPN commentary booth to mingle with a decidedly older set of stars from his era, such as Chris Evert, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver.
“A very funny man,” Gauff said earlier this summer of Gilbert, whose coaching exploits she knew little about, since, as she pointed out with a giggle, they mostly happened before she was born. “I didn’t want to be with someone who’s a wall. But he’s definitely not a wall.”
Tennis fans love and hate his nerdy player nicknames. Stan Wawrinka, the Swiss tank of a player, is “Stanimal.” Carlos Alcaraz is “Escape from Alcaraz.” And on and on.
Last year took an unconventional turn. For nearly a decade, Gilbert had been working with junior players on private courts in California. Then the phone rang with an odd request.
After Gauff lost in the first round at Wimbledon in July, another disappointing Grand Slam result for a player who believes she is ready to win the biggest titles, he got a call from her team. They wanted him to speak with her parents about sharing his been-there wisdom as an adviser alongside Gauff’s new and somewhat-inexperienced coach, Pere Riba.
Gauff’s shortcomings were hardly a mystery: a shaky forehand and serve in tight moments; a struggle to maximize her prodigious strengths — her speed and ability to cover the court, her fitness, her blazing backhand, a laserlike first serve.
Used the right way, those tools have gotten her far. Maybe Gilbert’s brain could get her over the line.
“He loved discussing matchups, how to get to people’s weaknesses,” said Andy Murray, who worked with Gilbert earlier in his career. “It was very focused on the strategy and finding ways to win matches.”
Gilbert and Gauff’s team have kept quiet about the specific ways he has helped her, but anyone who watches him and hears what he says from her box during matches can figure it out: Know what’s coming, and play to your strengths.
“Make it physical, Coco,” is a constant refrain, a reminder that she can chase down balls all night long if she wants to, taking the legs and the heart out of opponents.
Gilbert has little use for the statistics that have come into fashion among many elite teams. He ignores the screen in the coaching box that gives coaches real-time data. “I trust my eyes,” he said.
He has been trying to introduce Gauff to his music, sending her links to songs by Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and the Eagles. Gauff, a fan of City Girls — a Miami hip-hop duo featuring artists Yung Miami and JT — has yet to share her thoughts.
Still, at the moment, she and her team have every reason to trust his eyes, too. Gauff has won two of her first three tournaments with him on the team, and 14 of 15 matches, including three at the U.S. Open.
Source: .nytimes.com/2023/09/02/sports/tennis/us-open-coco-gauff-brad-gilbert.html
Expert spotlights Novak Djokovic’s health nonsense
/in Club News, Goss /by RobMastering Tennis Requires an All-Court Style | AskThePro
/in Ask the Pro, Club News /by RobCourt speeds at major tournaments in 2023
TOURNAMENT
COURT SURFACE
PACE RATING
French Open
Clay
Slow (29 or less)
Indian Wells
Hard
Medium-slow (30-34)
Western & Southern Open
Hard
Medium (35-39)
Miami Open
Hard
Medium-fast (40-44)
Australian Open
Hard
Medium-fast (40-44)
U.S. Open
Hard
Medium-fast (40-44)
Wimbledon
Grass
Fast (45 or more)
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/02/sports/tennis/us-open-tennis-court-speed.html
Manly Mens 5, Badge WINNERS Division 8, Winners 5-2
/in Badge, Club News /by Rob