Tennis has gone through a number of changes over the past few years, and few have sparked more debate than the rule about coaching during live matches – a shift that Brad Gilbert says was badly needed.
Gilbert, who coached Coco Gauff to her breakout Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, has seen first-hand how the landscape has evolved.
Now speaking to Caroline Garcia on the Tennis Insider podcast, the former world number four explained how the change has stopped what he describes as quiet cheating.
Brad Gilbert says rule change helped prevent cheating
Before 2020, coaching from a player’s box during matches was technically banned, though most in the sport knew it happened regularly, often slipping under the radar if coaches spoke in foreign languages or relied on subtle signals.
Gilbert said the new rules, which now allow coaches to issue limited verbal or hand-signal advice during play, have cleaned up the grey areas, even if they introduce new challenges.
“First of all I am glad that it is allowed because it has stopped the cheating,” Gilbert said. “There was lots of cheating and maybe if you were doing it in a different language you might get away with it.
“But there’s a balance. Now I feel like it’s a little bit too much. When you have these tablets [iPads]… When I am watching a match I never look at the tablet. I am still looking with my own eyes and trying to process what they are doing.”
Gilbert also noted the downside – that some players have come to rely too much on outside input. “Sometimes players look at the coach after every single thing. They want to know where to serve, and it becomes too much.”
The pushback is building too. Taylor Fritz once called the move “awful” for the sport, while Denis Shapovalov argued coaching undermines tennis’s unique tradition that demands players problem-solve on their own.
Shapovalov claims ‘it is sad to see’ the impact of the rule change in the game
Gilbert isn’t alone in noticing the shift. Some players have spoken out against the measure, arguing that tennis’s root appeal lies in the individual’s ability to adapt without help.
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In October, Shapovalov posted on X: “Not just as a tennis player but as a fan of this sport it’s sad to see this new off court coaching rule. Tennis is special because you are out there alone. Why are you trying to change the beauty of this game.”
But the trend shows no signs of reversing, with tournaments such as Wimbledon and the US Open now firmly on board with in-match coaching. For better or worse, it looks like tennis is settling into its new era – one where the lines between player and coach are just a little less rigid than before.
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