Coco Gauff hires former Spanish tennis player Pere Riba as her coach ahead of Rothesay International 2023

Coco Gauff has enlisted the services of former Spanish tennis player Pere Riba in preparation for the 2023 Rothesay International tournament.

During a press conference ahead of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix held in Stuttgart in April, Gauff addressed her split with coach Diego Moyano.

The 19-year-old clarified that the decision to part ways was not hers and that there were some personal issues that Moyano was dealing with. Despite the unexpected separation, Gauff spoke highly of her time with Moyano and stated that she understood his situation.

According to a report by MARCA, Coco Gauff has now hired former Spanish tennis player Pere Riba. Riba will begin his coaching stint at Eastbourne in the lead-up to the Wimbledon Championships starting on July 3.

Ekaterina Alexandrova defeats Coco Gauff at Berlin Open 2023

Coco Gauff faced off against World No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round of the 2023 bett1open in Berlin. The match marked Gauff's second appearance on grass this season and her first tournament since her quarterfinal defeat to the eventual champion Iga Swiatek at the 2023 French Open.

Alexandrova extended her winning streak to seven matches by defeating Gauff 6-4, 6-0 in just 75 minutes. Despite falling behind 3-1 in the first set, Alexandrova won 11 of the last 12 games to secure her spot in the quarterfinals in Berlin for the second time in her career.

During the post-match press conference, Alexandrova said she was unsure how she managed to maintain such a high level of play on a surface that is not her favorite. She also praised Gauff for providing a challenging and competitive match despite the seemingly one-sided scoreline.

"Honestly, I don't know," she said. "Grass is not my favorite surface, but somehow I'm managing to play so well on it. And maybe the score looks easy, but it's never like that because she played amazing. I needed to stay focused during every single point to keep it that way. I'm just hoping I can keep this form as long as I can."

The head-to-head record between Gauff and Alexandrova is now tied at 1-1. Their first meeting came at the 2021 Dubai Tennis Championships, where Gauff emerged victorious after a grueling three-set match.

Coco Gauff will next face Bernarda Pera in the first round of the 2023 Rothesay International.