The life of a tennis coach can, unfortunately, be measured in weeks. A brief run of victories can create the impression of permanence, yet a few missteps are enough to dispel the illusion. In a sport where every stroke is examined and every loss magnified, recency bias reigns. The past is never a shield.
Coco Gauff’s decision to dismiss Matt Daly days before the start of the US Open tells a tale as old as time. The latter, a specialist in grip and technique, had joined her camp after her split with Brad Gilbert. His stint produced immediate results: podium finishes at the China Open and the WTA Finals, not to mention a second major championship at Roland Garros. Then the serve he had labored to strengthen collapsed under pressure; a first-round loss at Wimbledon and a rash of double faults shifted the conversation from progress to crisis. And just like that, the pairing ended.
In Daly’s place comes Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics expert who once rebuilt Aryna Sabalenka’s motion. The choice is telling. Modern players look to science when nerves crack under pressure. There is no small measure of irony in seeing precision coaching give way to a search for engineered stability. Still, the calendar waits for no one. A Grand Slam approaches, and its runup has no place for patience.
The carousel has claimed countless others. Emma Raducanu turned to mentor after mentor in search of the formula that once had her clutching the hardware at Flushing Meadows. Naomi Osaka moved on from Sascha Bajin soon after back-to-back majors. Novak Djokovic has dismissed and recalled Marian Vajda multiple times. Serena Williams tested a line of voices before settling with Patrick Mouratoglou. The sequence rarely changes: success, scrutiny, split.
Clearly, coaches occupy an uneasy space. Their influence is undeniable, yet inseparable from the player’s own form, health, and confidence. When a toss unravels or a forehand wavers, they become the most visible target. In a team sport, responsibility can be spread across a roster. In tennis, the spotlight isolates the partnership, and one party becomes a natural casualty when results of the other decline. Gauff’s split with Daly is another reminder that in tennis, permanence is an illusion. The watching and the watch never stop.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
