Who is Matt Daly, the coach of French Open finalist Coco Gauff? All you need to know

June 7, 2025

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Coco Gauff, the former US Open champion, has reached her second French Open final and will take on Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday, June 7. Gauff thrashed Lois Boisson of France in the semifinal to set up the clash with Sabalenka.

Gauff had earlier reached the French Open final in 2022, losing to Iga Swiatek. However, since appointing Matt Daly as her coach in 2024, the young American has seen some improvement in her performance.

Matt Daly was a collegiate tennis player

Born in 1979, Daly was a collegiate tennis player with the university of Notre Dame and graduated in 2001. He used to play in the Pro Futures Circuit, which is a part of USTA Pro Circuit. Daly was a top tennis-talent in his university, but unfortunately, his playing career never took off in the way he would have wanted.

Despite not having a particularly successful playing career, Daly went on to become a successful coach, coaching quite a few top-100 players in the world. He has coached Denis Shapovalov in the past and has now added the name of Gauff to his coaching resume.

Along with former NCAA champion Mark Merklein, Daly helped create Grip MD, a training device that aids players at all levels execute a proper serve and volley. Thus, Daly has left his mark in the world of tennis coaching and training.

Gauff has improved under Daly's tutelage

Gauff sacked Brad Gilbert as her coach after her loss in the fourth round of US Open last year. She then added Daly to her coaching team. Gauff said in this regard,

Working with Brad was really great and, obviously, we had a great partnership. I think it was just time to do a reset, a refresh, and add some things in my game that I felt like I need to do to have a better season next year.”

Since then, Gauff has improved steadily as a player. The American won the China Open and the WTA Finals titles in quick succession after adding Daly to her team. She then reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

However, it is Gauff's performance on clay that has seen a marked improvement under Daly. She reached the finals of both Madrid Open and Italian Open. Now, she has reached the final at Roland Garros and will be gunning for glory for the first time in the French capital. It remains to be seen whether her partnership with Daly is able to lead her to Grand Slam glory once again.

About the author

Subhadeep, an adept tennis journalist at Sportskeeda, has been writing about the sport for seven years. He is known for his exclusive match reviews and opinion pieces, utilizing his MBA degree to tackle them effectively with his problem-solving abilities.

Subhadeep lives and breathes tennis. He watches matches regularly and engages in social media platforms to stay on top of the latest happenings. As a writer, he brings the fan's perspective to his pieces, ensuring his readers enjoy an exceptional experience every time.

Growing up, he idolized Boris Becker, but he now firmly believes Novak Djokovic stands alone as the 'Greatest of all Time', especially considering the 24-time Grand Slam champion's incredible stats. One thing that still puzzles Subhadeep, however, is how Becker's Wimbledon tally might have reached five if not for Pete Sampras.

Speaking of the All England Club, the British Major holds a special place in his heart as he admires its blend of tradition and grass-court excellence. When not working for Sportskeeda, Subhadeep delves into the other "love of his life": football, and enjoys contributing his insights to different websites dedicated to the sport.

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