Brad Gilbert

Sportskool Tennis Coach

Tennis

Brad Gilbert Bio

One of the elite men's tennis players in the 1980s and early 1990s, Brad Gilbert peaked as the No. 4 singles player in 1990. But his work coaching superstars like Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick will be his tennis legacy.

Gilbert coached Agassi to six Grand Slam titles in eight years, the most successful player-coach partnership (along with Tony Roche and Ivan Lendl) of the Open Era. He also helped Andy Roddick to the 2003 U.S. Open championship. He's the only coach in the history of the ATP rankings (since 1973) to lead two players to a year-end No. 1 ranking.

Gilbert wasn't a slouch as a player, however. He had a career record of 519-288, won 20 singles titles and earned more than $5,000,000 in 13 years as a professional. Not a flashy player, Gilbert was intent on destroying a more talented opponent's rhythm. He kept the ball in play and deliberately hit the ball slowly. He forced other players into long rallies and attacked when they used a slow pace. He'd even challenge calls or complain about trivial things to purposely act annoying sometimes. You could say he played with his mind and won ugly. He shares his tips in a popular book he wrote, aptly titled, "Winning Ugly."

  • Born August 9, 1961 in Oakland, California
  • Also reached 20 finals in his ATP career
  • All-American selection at Pepperdine in 1982
  • NCAA singles runner-up to Mike Leach of Michigan in 1982
  • Won bronze medal for the United State at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul
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