2023 Coach of the Year: Exciting Nominees and Their Remarkable Achievements

Nominees for the 2023 WTA Coach of the Year have been announced. These nominees were selected by registered WTA coaches. Let’s take a closer look at each of the contenders.

Brad Gilbert and Pere Riba:
– Current player: Coco Gauff
– Length of Coach/Player Relationship: June 2023-present/October 2023
– Ranking at the start of the year: 7
– 2023 Year-End Ranking: 3

Highlights:
– Riba joined Gauff’s coaching team before the grass season, with Gilbert coming on board in August.
– Since then, Gauff has had an impressive record, winning 20 out of 23 matches, including a WTA 500, a WTA 1000, and a Grand Slam title.
– Gauff reached a career-high singles ranking of World No.3 in September 2023.
– She also qualified for the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun in both singles and doubles, finishing the season ranked No.3 in doubles.
– Riba has recently parted ways with Gauff, while Gilbert continues as her coach.

Tomasz Wiktorowski:
– Current player: Iga Swiatek
– Length of Coach/Player Relationship: 2022-Present
– Ranking at the start of the year: 1
– 2023 Year-End Ranking: 1

Highlights:
– Wiktorowski has been coaching Swiatek for consecutive seasons.
– Swiatek had an outstanding year, winning six titles and 68 matches, the most on the Hologic WTA Tour.
– She successfully defended her Roland Garros singles title, becoming the first woman to do so since 2007.
– Swiatek also won the China Open and the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun.
– She spent a total of 75 weeks at World No.1, an impressive feat for a player in her first stint at the top.
– Swiatek has reached the quarterfinals or better at all four Grand Slam events.

Anton Dubrov:
– Current player: Aryna Sabalenka
– Length of Coach/Player Relationship: 2020-Present
– Ranking at the start of the year: 5
– 2023 Year-End Ranking: 2

Highlights:
– Dubrov has been coaching Sabalenka for four seasons.
– Sabalenka reached the World No.1 ranking in September 2023 and held it for eight weeks.
– She became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the semifinals or better at all four Grand Slam events in a calendar year.
– Sabalenka won her first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open and reached the final of the US Open.
– She also had success at other tournaments, winning three titles and making three additional finals.

Emil Miske:
– Current player: Karolina Muchova
– Length of Coach/Player Relationship: 2017-2019, April 2023-Present
– Ranking at the start of the year: 151
– 2023 Year-End Ranking: 8

Highlights:
– Miske and Muchova resumed their partnership in April 2023.
– Muchova made her Top 10 debut in August and reached a career-high ranking of No.8 in September.
– She reached two finals this year, at the WTA 1000 Western & Southern Open and Roland Garros, and made the semifinals at the US Open.
– Muchova also had quarterfinal runs at other tournaments, including WTA 1000 events.
– She qualified for the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun but had to withdraw due to an injury.

Stefano Vukov:
– Current player: Elena Rybakina
– Length of Coach/Player Relationship: 2019-Present
– Ranking at the start of the year: 21
– 2023 Year-End Ranking: 4

Highlights:
– Vukov has been coaching Rybakina for five seasons.
– Rybakina won her first two WTA 1000 titles this year and made the final at the Miami Open.
– She reached her second Grand Slam final at the Australian Open.
– Rybakina won 27 matches at WTA 1000 events, tying Swiatek for the most on tour in 2023.
– She reached the Top 10 for the first time and achieved a career-high ranking of No.3.
– Rybakina had impressive victories over current World No.1 players, including Swiatek and Sabalenka.

Raemon Sluiter:
– Current player: Elina Svitolina
– Length of Coach/Player Relationship: March 2023-Present
– Ranking at the start of the year: 240
– 2023 Year-End Ranking: 25

Highlights:
– Sluiter started working with Svitolina in March 2023, after her return to the Tour following a year away due to pregnancy and the birth of her daughter.
– Svitolina won her 17th Hologic WTA Tour title at the Internationaux de Strasbourg.
– She had strong performances at Grand Slam events, reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and the semifinals at Wimbledon.
– Svitolina showed great determination and resilience in her comeback season.

These are the exceptional coaches who have made a significant impact on their players’ performances this season. The winner of the Coach of the Year award will be announced soon, and it will undoubtedly be a tough decision given the remarkable achievements of all the nominees.

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