Brad Gilbert (born August 9, 1961 in Oakland, California) is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, and former professional tennis player. Tennis, in the form of lawn tennis, was a summer Olympic sport contested in every Games between 1896 and 1924 before disappearing from the Olympic scene until its revival as an Olympic event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. ... The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were held in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. ... Tennis returned to the Olympic Games in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, having been left out since the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Oakland, founded in 1852, is the eighth-largest city in California[1] and the county seat of Alameda County. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... A tennis net Tennis is a game played between either two players (singles) or two teams of two players (doubles). Players use a stringed racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponents court. ...

Playing career

Gilbert joined the professional tour in 1982 and won his first top-level singles title later that year in Taipei. His first doubles title came in 1985 in Tel Aviv. He won a total of 20 top-level singles titles during his career, the biggest being the historic Cincinnati event in 1989. He was also runner-up in a further 20 singles events, including Cincinnati in 1990 (where he lost to future Hall of Fame inductee Stefan Edberg) and the Paris Indoors in 1987 and 1988. 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: the City of Azaleas Government Official Website City of Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou Capital District Xinyi Geographical characteristics Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 16 of 25 271. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tel-Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of Jaffa. ... The Cincinnati Masters is an annual tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is today the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city. ... Country: Sweden Residence: Växjö, SWE Height: 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) Weight: 77 kg (170 lb) Plays: Right Turned pro: 1983 Retired: 1996 Highest singles ranking: 1 (Aug 13th, 1990) Singles titles: 42 Career Prize Money: US$20,630,941 Grand Slam Record Titles: 6 Australian Open W... The Paris Masters is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Paris, France. ...

His most successful year on the tour was 1989, during which he won five singles titles, including Cincinnati. His best performance at a Grand Slam tournament was at the 1987 US Open, where he reached the quarter-finals. He was also runner-up at the inaugural Grand Slam Cup in 1990. He won Bronze Medal in the men's singles at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. His career-high singles ranking was World No. 4, which he reached in January 1990. 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In tennis, a singles player or doubles team is said to have achieved the True Grand Slam if they succeed in winning all four of the following championship titles in the same calendar year or just Grand Slam by owning all four at the same time: Australian Open French Open... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the article about the U.S. Open 2006, click here. ... The Grand Slam Cup was a tennis tournament. ... This article is about the year. ... The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were held in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. ... Seoul (Sŏul[1] 서울)   is the capital and largest city of South Korea (Republic of Korea). ...

Unlike many other professional players of his era, Gilbert did not have a powerful serve, a dangerous forehand or backhand, a flashy volley, or a lighting smash. His best asset was his ability to keep the ball in play. He hit the ball most often at a deliberately slow pace but with accuracy. He kept an open stance and did not make many turns when at the baseline. This enabled him to control the game through oversight and tempo despite his defensive style. He built his game around destroying his opponent's rhythm. He would force the other player into long rallies by hitting the ball high over the net and deep into his opponent's court. If an opponent employed a slow pace, then Gilbert would attack decisively, often at the net. Although he was easy to get along with outside the court, Gilbert could be (deliberately or not) annoying during a match, often challenging calls or complaining about trivial things. Both his style of play and his mental approach were that of a snake; this may have been the only way for him to survive. To Gilbert's credit, he was fast on his feet and had accurate passing shots.

Coaching career

Gilbert retired as player in 1994. Since then, he has been highly successful as a tennis coach. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

Andre Agassi

Gilbert was coach to Andre Agassi for eight years from 1994 to 2002. During that period, Agassi won six Grand Slam singles titles, making it the joint-most successful coach-player partnership in the Open era (along side Tony Roche's period as coach of Ivan Lendl). Agassi described Gilbert as "the greatest coach of all time" as a result of the pair's highly successful relationship. Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada) is a former World No. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Tony Roche was an Australian tennis player, born 17 May 1945 in Wagga Wagga. ... Country: Czechoslovakia/United States Residence: Greenwich, Connecticut Height: 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) Weight: 79 kg (175 lb) Plays: Right Turned pro: 1978 Retired: 1994 Highest singles ranking: 1 (28 Feb 1983) Singles titles: 94 Career Prize Money: US$21,262,417 Grand Slam Record Titles: 8 Australian Open...

Andy Roddick

Gilbert went on to coach Andy Roddick, who won the 2003 US Open under Gilbert's guidance, but they parted ways at the end of 2004. Roddick's form has taken a noticeable downturn since this break-up, and many believe this is testament to Gilbert's competence as a tennis coach. Andrew Stephen (Andy) Roddick (born August 30, 1982) is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. ...

Andy Murray

On July 26, 2006, Gilbert was announced as taking over the coaching duties of British talent Andy Murray. As well as coaching Murray, Gilbert will take part in other Lawn Tennis Association programmes including tennis camps at under-12 and under-14 levels. He will also work with the LTA's network of coaches and its high-performance clubs and academies. He also recently led Murray to a win over #1 ranked player Roger Federer. Andrew Andy Murray (born 15 May 1987 in Glasgow), is a Scottish[4] tennis player, who plays for both Scotland[5] and Great Britain[6]. He has been noted for his frequent outbursts of passion and natural talent. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is the governing body of tennis in the United Kingdom. ... Roger Federer (born August 8, 1981) is a Swiss tennis professional whose achievements rank him among historys most successful players. ...

Tennis commentator and writer

Gilbert now serves occasionally as an analyst for ESPN. He is also the author of the very popular book Winning Ugly, which gives tips on how an average player can defeat a more skilled opponent. His second book "I've Got Your Back," was published in 2005. ESPN (an acronym for the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ...

Personal information

Gilbert resides with his wife and three children in San Rafael, California. Saint Raphael Church, one of the citys most recognizable landmarks San Rafael (IPA: ; originally IPA: ), is the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. ...

External links

• The Official Brad Gilbert Site
• Official ATP Profile
• Davis Cup record