Brad Gilbert

Brad Gilbert
Country (sports)  United States
Residence San Rafael, California
Born (1961-08-09) August 9, 1961
Oakland, California
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro 1982
Retired 1995
Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money US$5,509,060
Singles
Career record 519–288
Career titles 20
Highest ranking No. 4 (January 1, 1990)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 4R (1984)
French Open 3R (1993)
Wimbledon QF (1990)
US Open QF (1987)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals SF (1987)
Grand Slam Cup F (1990)
WCT Finals F (1989)
Doubles
Career record 101–127
Career titles 3
Highest ranking No. 18 (September 29, 1986)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 2R (1987)
French Open 2R (1987)
Wimbledon 2R (1986)
US Open 2R (1988)
Medal record
Olympic Games – Tennis
1988 Seoul Singles
Maccabiah Games
1981 Israel Men's Doubles

Brad Gilbert (born August 9, 1961) is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, an author and former professional tennis player. He was born in Oakland, California and graduated from Piedmont High School (California).

Gilbert's career-high singles ranking was world no. 4, which he reached in January 1990. Since retiring from the tour, he has coached several top players, including Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, and Kei Nishikori.

Playing career

Gilbert played tennis for Foothill College, a junior college in Los Altos Hills, California, from 1980–82, where he was coached by Tom Chivington. During this time, he won the California Junior College Singles Championship and the U.S. Amateur Hardcourt Championship. In 1981, Gilbert became a member of the American Junior Davis Cup team. In 1982, he transferred to Pepperdine University, playing for Allen Fox, where he became an All-American and reached the finals of the 1982 NCAA Championship.

Gilbert joined the professional tour in 1982 and won his first top-level singles title later that year in Taipei. His first doubles title came in 1985 in Tel Aviv.

Gilbert won a total of 20 top-level singles titles during his career, the biggest being the Cincinnati event in 1989. He was also runner-up in a further 20 singles events, including Cincinnati in 1990 (where he lost to future International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Stefan Edberg) and the Paris Indoors in 1987 and 1988.

Gilbert's most successful year on the tour was 1989, during which he won five singles titles, including Cincinnati, where he beat four future Hall of Famers to claim the title: Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, Boris Becker, and Stefan Edberg, as well as Agustín Moreno and Jason Stoltenberg.

Gilbert's best performances at Grand Slam tournaments were at the 1987 US Open and 1990 Wimbledon, where he reached the quarterfinals. He was also runner-up at the inaugural Grand Slam Cup in 1990.

Gilbert was ranked among the top 10 players in the U.S. for 9 of his first 10 years on the professional tour. His career win-loss record in singles play was 519–288. His career prize-money totalled US$5,509,060.

Among his upsets of players ranked in the world's top 3 were his defeat of no. 2 Boris Becker, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, in Cincinnati in 1989, no. 2 Edberg, 7–6, 6–7, 6–4, in Los Angeles in 1991, no. 3 Sampras, 6–3, 6–4, in London in 1992, and no. 3 Jim Courier, 6–4, 6–4, at Memphis in 1994, Edberg, 6–4, 2–6, 7–6, in Cincinnati in 1989, and perhaps most significantly, no. 2 John McEnroe, 5–7, 6–4, 6–1, in the Masters in MSG New York in January 1986, which sent McEnroe into his first six-month break from tennis.

Style of play

Unlike many other professional players of his era, Gilbert did not have a major offensive weapon such as an overpowering serve or forehand. His best asset was his ability to keep the ball in play. He hit the ball most often at a slow but accurate pace and was sometimes called a pusher.[1] In his 2002 autobiography, John McEnroe called Gilbert a pusher and claimed that Gilbert had the ability to bring talented players down to his type of game. In addition, McEnroe stated that Gilbert was the most negative person he had ever played tennis against, and he was riled by Gilbert's alleged non-stop tirades against himself while playing.

Gilbert kept an open stance and did not make many turns when at the baseline. This enabled him to control the game through oversight and tempo, despite his defensive style. He built his game around destroying his opponent's rhythm. He forced his opponent into long rallies by hitting the ball high over the net and deep into his opponent's court. If an opponent employed a slow pace, Gilbert attacked decisively, often at the net. He was one of the sport's top strategists as a player. Although he was easy to get along with outside the court, Gilbert was a fierce competitor with a sometimes annoying style of play, focusing on his opponent's weaknesses. Both his style of play and his mental approach brought him wins over the world's top players and kept him near the top 10 for six years.

Davis Cup

Gilbert compiled a 10–5 record in Davis Cup play from 1986–93, with a 7–1 record on hard courts and carpet.[2]

Olympics

Gilbert won a bronze medal in men's singles at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.

Career finals

Singles 40 (20–20)

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Winner 1. 1982 Taipei, Taiwan Carpet United States Craig Wittus 6–1, 6–4
Winner 2. 1984 Columbus, U.S. Hard United States Hank Pfister 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
Runner-up 1. 1984 San Francisco, U.S. Carpet United States John McEnroe 4–6, 4–6
Winner 3. 1984 Taipei, Taiwan Carpet Australia Wally Masur 6–3, 6–3
Winner 4. 1985 Livingston, U.S. Hard United States Brian Teacher 7–6, 6–4
Winner 5. 1985 Cleveland, U.S. Hard Australia Brad Drewett 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 2. 1985 Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany Clay Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 4–6, 0–6
Runner-up 3. 1985 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard United States Matt Anger 4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6
Winner 6. 1985 Tel Aviv, Israel Hard Israel Amos Mansdorf 6–3, 6–2
Winner 7. 1986 Memphis, U.S. Carpet Sweden Stefan Edberg 7–5, 7–6(7–3)
Winner 8. 1986 Livingston, U.S. Hard United States Mike Leach 6–2, 6–2
Winner 9. 1986 Tel Aviv, Israel Hard United States Aaron Krickstein 7–5, 6–2
Winner 10. 1986 Vienna, Austria Hard (i) Czechoslovakia Karel Nováček 3–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–0
Runner-up 4. 1987 Washington, D.C., U.S. Hard Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 1–6, 0–6
Winner 11. 1987 Scottsdale, U.S. Hard United States Eliot Teltscher 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 5. 1987 Tel Aviv, Israel Hard Israel Amos Mansdorf 6–3, 3–6, 4–6
Runner-up 6. 1987 Paris Indoor, France Carpet United States Tim Mayotte 6–2, 3–6, 5–7, 7–6(7–5), 3–6
Runner-up 7. 1987 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard (i) Australia Pat Cash 6–7(7–9), 6–4, 6–2, 0–6, 1–6
Winner 12. 1988 Tel Aviv, Israel Hard United States Aaron Krickstein 4–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–2
Runner-up 8. 1988 Paris Indoor, France Carpet Israel Amos Mansdorf 3–6, 2–6, 3–6
Winner 13. 1989 Memphis, U.S. Hard (i) United States Johan Kriek 6–2, 6–2, ret.
Runner-up 9. 1989 Dallas WCT, U.S. Carpet United States John McEnroe 3–6, 3–6, 6–7(3–7)
Runner-up 10. 1989 Washington, D.C., U.S. Hard United States Tim Mayotte 6–3, 4–6, 5–7
Winner 14. 1989 Stratton Mountain, U.S. Hard United States Jim Pugh 7–5, 6–0
Winner 15. 1989 Livingston, U.S. Hard Australia Jason Stoltenberg 6–4, 6–4
Winner 16. 1989 Cincinnati, U.S. Hard Sweden Stefan Edberg 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(7–5)
Winner 17. 1989 San Francisco, U.S. Carpet Sweden Anders Järryd 7–5, 6–2
Runner-up 11. 1989 Orlando, U.S. Hard United States Andre Agassi 2–6, 1–6
Winner 18. 1990 Rotterdam, Netherlands Carpet Sweden Jonas Svensson 6–1, 6–3
Winner 19. 1990 Orlando, U.S. Hard South Africa Christo van Rensburg 6–2, 6–1
Runner-up 12. 1990 Cincinnati, U.S. Hard Sweden Stefan Edberg 1–6, 1–6
Winner 20. 1990 Brisbane, Australia Hard United States Aaron Krickstein 6–3, 6–1
Runner-up 13. 1990 Grand Slam Cup, Munich Carpet United States Pete Sampras 3–6, 4–6, 2–6
Runner-up 14. 1991 San Francisco, U.S. Carpet Australia Darren Cahill 2–6, 6–3, 4–6
Runner-up 15. 1991 Los Angeles, U.S. Hard United States Pete Sampras 2–6, 7–6(7–5), 3–6
Runner-up 16. 1991 Sydney Indoor, Australia Hard (i) Sweden Stefan Edberg 2–6, 2–6, 2–6
Runner-up 17. 1992 Scottsdale, U.S. Hard Italy Stefano Pescosolido 0–6, 6–1, 4–6
Runner-up 18. 1993 San Francisco, U.S. Hard (i) United States Andre Agassi 2–6, 7–6(7–4), 2–6
Runner-up 19. 1993 Tokyo Outdoor, Japan Hard United States Pete Sampras 2–6, 2–6, 2–6
Runner-up 20. 1994 Memphis, U.S. Hard (i) United States Todd Martin 4–6, 5–7

Singles performance timeline

Tournament198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995SRW–LWin %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A A 1R 4R 3R NH 3R A A A 3R 1R A A 1R 0 / 7 6–7 46.2%
French Open A A 1R 2R 1R A 2R A A A 1R 1R 3R 2R A 0 / 8 5–8 38.5%
Wimbledon A A 3R 3R 1R 4R 3R A 1R QF 3R 3R 2R 2R A 0 / 11 19–11 63.3%
US Open A 2R 1R 2R 3R 4R QF 2R 1R 3R 1R 4R 4R A A 0 / 12 20–12 62.5%
Win–Loss 0–0 1–1 2–4 6–4 3–4 6–2 8–4 1–1 0–2 6–2 4–4 5–4 6–3 2–2 0–1 0 / 38 50–38 56.8%
Year End Rankings 282 54 50 23 18 11 13 21 6 10 19 26 35 76 680

Halls of Fame

Gilbert is a member of the USTA Northern California Hall of Fame.[3]

Gilbert is also a 1999 inductee into the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame.[4]

Gilbert was inducted in 2001 into the ITA Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.[5]

Gilbert was a 2001 inductee into the Marblehead Boosters Hall of Fame.[6]

Coaching career

Gilbert retired as a player in 1995. Since 1994, he has been successful as a tennis coach. This success has often been associated with the extraordinary tactical abilities exhibited during his own matches.

Andre Agassi

Gilbert was the coach of Andre Agassi for eight years, from March 1994 until January 2002. Agassi won six of his eight majors when Gilbert was his coach. Agassi described Gilbert as "the greatest coach of all time".[7]

Andy Roddick

On June 3, 2003, Gilbert became the coach of Andy Roddick, who won the 2003 US Open under Gilbert's guidance, as well as clinching the year-end world no. 1 for 2003 and reaching the 2004 Wimbledon final. They parted ways on December 12, 2004.

Andy Murray

Gilbert Coaching Andy Murray

On July 26, 2006, Gilbert was announced as taking over the coaching duties of Scottish player Andy Murray. As well as coaching Murray, Gilbert took part, pursuant to a 3-year deal, in other British Lawn Tennis Association programmes, including tennis camps at under-12 and under-14 levels.[8] He also worked with the LTA's network of coaches and its high-performance clubs and academies. On November 14, 2007, after 16 months working together, Gilbert and Murray parted company. By then, Murray had reached a then career-high ranking of no. 8.[9]

Alex Bogdanović

In November 2007 it was announced that Gilbert would work for 20 weeks in 2008 for Britain's Lawn Tennis Association, concentrating mostly on coaching Britain's no. 2, Alex Bogdanović, and others in his age group. Bogdanović said he was "unbelievably excited" at the chance of spending time with Gilbert.[10] Roger Draper, the LTA's chief executive, said: "We have set Brad a new challenge of getting Alex into the top 100 and also 'upskilling' our coaches and inspiring the next generation to follow in Andy's footsteps."[11]

Kei Nishikori

While still being committed to his TV items,[12] in December 2010 it was announced that Gilbert would return to coaching, and partner with Kei Nishikori of Japan for 15 tournaments in the 2011 season. Gilbert's partnership with Nishikori concluded at the end of the 2011 season.[13]

Sam Querrey

In February 2012, it was announced that Gilbert would work with American Sam Querrey on a trial basis in 2012.[14]

Commentator and Author

Gilbert now serves as a tennis analyst for ESPN. He is also the author of the book Winning Ugly,[15] which gives tips on how an average player can defeat a more skilled opponent and better the average player's mental game. His second book, co-authored by James Kaplan and entitled I've Got Your Back,[16] was published in 2005.

Personal life

Gilbert is Jewish[17] and resides with his wife Kim and three children Zach, Julian and Zoe in San Rafael, California.

While commentating Andy Murray's third-round match in the 2011 Australian Open for ESPN2, Gilbert mentioned that he lives near the Olympian runner Michael Johnson and that when he was Murray's coach he introduced Johnson and Murray, who did a series of sprints together on a nearby track.

See also

References

References

  1. ↑ Benoit Denizet-Lewis (June 27, 2004). "Brad Gilbert Talks a Great Game". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  2. ↑ Brad Gilbert at the Davis Cup
  3. ↑ USTA Northern California Hall of Fame Archived July 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine..
  4. ↑ CSTV.com: #1 in College Sports
  5. ↑ ITA Men's Hall of Fame. Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
  6. ↑ Marblehead Marblehead Boosters Club Hall of Fame Archived October 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine..
  7. ↑ "Tennis players – Brad Gilbert". Tennis – ATP World Tour official site.
  8. ↑ Halley, Jim (August 3, 2006). "Gilbert coaching teen Murray, over firing by Roddick". USA Today. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Murray splits with coach Gilbert". BBC News. November 14, 2007.
  10. ↑ Harman, Neil (November 20, 2007). "Brad Gilbert gives Alex Bogdanovic rallying call to reach potential". The Times. London. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  11. ↑ Newman, Paul (November 19, 2007). "After Murray, Gilbert moves on to coach Bogdanovic, the world No 161". The Independent. London. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  12. ↑ http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2010/12/Other/Gilbert-To-Help-Nishikori.aspx
  13. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
  14. ↑ "Brad Gilbert to work with Sam Querrey on trial basis". TennisNow. February 20, 2012.
  15. ↑ Jamison, Steve; Brad Gilbert (1994). Winning Ugly : Mental Warfare in Tennis—Lessons from a Master. New York: Fireside. ISBN 0-671-88400-X.
  16. ↑ Andre Agassi; Brad Gilbert; Kaplan, James (2005). I've Got Your Back : Coaching Top Performers from Center Court to the Corner Office. Portfolio Trade. ISBN 1-59184-095-3.
  17. ↑ http://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/how-jewish-is/how-jewish-brad-gilbert

Bibliography

External links

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