What’s it like to work with Coco Gauff? For Pere Riba, it’s more than he ever expected

Pere Riba had planned on enjoying a break from tour life after Roland Garros. Little did the Spanish coach know he was about to embark on a summer road trip like no other.

In June, the 35-year-old wrapped up a two-year partnership with Zheng Qinwen. Over the course of that successful arrangement, Riba helped guide the emerging Chinese competitor to the Top 25 as she picked up WTA Newcomer of the Year honors at the end of 2022.

“I just wanted to take some time off,” he shares by phone from New York.

That ambition was soon foiled when Corey Gauff reached out. The two conversed before Riba was connected to Corey’s daughter to pick her brain and simply talk tennis. “We were on the same page, so then we agreed to start for a trial period,” Riba recalls.

Five months younger than Zheng, Coco Gauff—still just 19—presented a new challenge for Riba to consider. She has been a tour-level fixture for more than four seasons, already contested a Grand Slam singles final, been ranked inside the Top 10 since last year’s US Open, and for years has gracefully carried the heavy weight of expectations that have followed since her breakout run at 2019 Wimbledon. Every player has a unique set of strengths and weaknesses, and for Riba, the opportunity to help Gauff build on her existing gifts and fine-tune any shortcomings was one that couldn’t be passed up.

“It’s amazing the potential that she has. It’s like she’s in the top of the rankings but still has a big margin to improve many things,” he says. “It’s one of the reasons why I was really, really motivated at the moment we start to talk.”