Coco Gauff's ex-coach makes feelings known on Nikoloz Basilashvili unexpectedly smashing his racket despite win at Sumter Challenger

Coco Gauff's ex-coach, Brad Gilbert, recently shared his thoughts on Nikoloz Basilashvili's unexpected celebration after his victory in the first round of the Challenger Sumter. The Georgian is currently gearing up for his next match of the tournament.

Basilashvili opened his Challenger Sumter tournament on Wednesday, August 13, where he locked horns with Christopher Eubanks. The former produced a dominant display, registering a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win over the American, and immediately after the win, the Georgian shared an unexpected reaction by smashing his racket on the court before walking off.

The video of this seemingly uncanny celebration was shared on X by the ATP Challenger Tour, which caught the attention of Gilbert, who raised eyebrows at Nikoloz Basilashvili unexpectedly smashing his racket despite winning the clash.

Making his feelings known about the expression, he wrote:

"Hmm🤔 on this celebration from NB, wonder💭if that was fine @SharkoTennis @tennistweetscom."

Gilbert is usually seen sharing his honest opinions on ongoing tennis shenanigans, and recently, he made his feelings known on Emma Raducanu's latest coaching change ahead of the Cincinnati Open. The Brit has reportedly joined forces with Rafael Nadal's ex-coach, Francisco Roig.

When Nikoloz Basilashvili opened up about being heartbroken after not getting a wildcard at the Qatar Open

Previously in his career, Nikoloz Basilashvili has proven his dominance at the Qatar Open. He won the men's singles titles in the 2021 iteration of the tournament and reached the finals in 2022. However, despite solidifying his position in the tournament, he was given a wildcard entry at the 2025 Qatar Open.

Following this decision, the Georgian expressed his dismay over not being given the wild card by the organizers and revealed that he would never be taking part in the Qatar Open in the entire course of his career. Opening up about being heartbroken due to the unfortunate event, he shared a statement on his Instagram story that read:

"I'm a little heartbroken to share that I wasn't able to get a wildcard for the Doha event, not even for the qualifying draw, despite winning the title in 2021 and reaching the final in 2022. I'm used to not getting anything the easy way, but this one hurts. I was the last one to miss the cut. I understand that money and sponsors play a role, but above all is common sense."

"Qatar you have given me incredible moments and memories that I'll keep forever. But I promise this- I will never return here again to compete in my professional career," he added.

Nikoloz Basilashvili is now slated to compete in the second round of the Challenger Sumter, where he will be squaring off against Murphy Cassone on Friday, August 15.

About the author

An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.

To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.

Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.

Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.

When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar