"Are you not ashamed?" - Iga Swiatek's fans tear into Coco Gauff's ex-coach for 'applauding' Pole's alleged harasser

A troll who has garnered notoriety for repeatedly targeting Iga Swiatek was recently given a nod of approval by Coco Gauff's ex-coach Brad Gilbert. The approval was for the troll, an alleged harasser of the Pole, sharing an update regarding an upcoming podcast revolving around one of Swiatek's most vocal fans. However, Gilbert's act didn't go down well with Swiatek fans, who lashed out at the iconic American coach.

On Tuesday, the troll took to X (formerly Twitter) and stated that in an upcoming podcast episode, he would be talking critically about a loyal Swiatek fan. The troll also took a swipe at the Pole's fans in general, claiming hateful and racist comments made by them. Not long after the post was shared, Brad Gilbert, who guided Gauff to her first Major singles title at the 2023 US Open, responded with:

Earlier this year, the same troll allegedly verbally abused Iga Swiatek at the Miami Open, following which the Pole's security at the combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 hardcourt tournament was increased.

Disgusted by Gilbert's reaction, fans of the former WTA No. 1 and six-time Grand Slam winner lashed out at the American.

"You're a professional tennis coach engaging with a person who has been targeting fans and harassing Iga. Are you not ashamed of yourself?," one fan asked.

"What an embarrassment of a human being 🤮," commented another.

"For a tennis coach you don’t come off as very professional. Disappointing…," another fan chimed in.

"Professional coach and commentator is praising and engaging with Iga Świątek Miami Open stalker who is doxxing one of her fans - Ewa on here. His credentials should be revoked!," opined one.

"Applauding an abuser just for the sake of hating on a player that trashed you multiple times says a lot about you," another added, referring to Swiatek's wins over Gauff when the latter was being coached by Gilbert.

"You are staggeringly unprofessional but what’s new," weighed in yet another fan.

Coco Gauff's ex-coach Brad Gilbert faced flak from Serena Williams' former coach for questioning Iga Swiatek's Cincinnati Open match scheduling

Iga Swiatek poses with the 2025 Cincinnati Open women's singles trophy (Source: Getty)

Apart from the women's singles final, all of Iga Swiatek's matches at the recently-concluded Cincinnati Open were scheduled at 11 AM local time. Amid the Pole's title-winning campaign in Cincinnati, Coco Gauff's ex-coach Brad Gilbert took to X and wondered if the former No. 1's team had requested for her matches to be given early starts.

Later, Rick Macci, who coached Venus and Serena Williams during their childhood years, rubbished Gilbert's take. Without taking Gilbert's name, Macci defended Swiatek, claiming that the Pole has no say in when her matches are scheduled at tournaments, and that coaches should focus on improving their players instead of voicing complaints about others' match timings.

"Iga did not make the draw or who she played at Wimbledon. She did not make the schedule of playing times in Cincinnati. Coaches need to focus on no more excuses and training instead of chirping and complaining. @WTA," Macci wrote on X.

Subsequently, an Iga Swiatek fan tagged Gilbert to draw the veteran coach's attention to Macci's post. In response, Gilbert nonchalantly scoffed at Macci's take.

About the author

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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Edited by Sudipto Pati