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Plugged In: Brad Gilbert, tennis lifer

Brad Gilbert is a long-standing tennis commentator for ESPN, was a bronze medalist at the 1988 Olympics, and has had a storied coaching career with clients including Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick. He also wrote “Winning Ugly,” a 1993 testament to his grinder game. More recently, the Northern California native appears in the Amazon series “Red Oaks.” He’s active on social media, as well, with more than 121,000 followers — who’ve seen him make some precise predictions.


My wife says right now I would talk about tennis for free, and they pay me to do it. I have had a chance to do something that I love basically my whole life. Obviously I enjoyed playing a lot; I truly enjoyed coaching, trying to help people fulfill their dreams; and ESPN gives me a great platform to really enjoy, to continue to be a part of the sport. So I have to pinch myself.

Photo by: SCOTT CLARKE / ESPN IMAGES
On court renovations for this year’s U.S. Open: I am incredibly excited to see the new Grandstand court. There was always that gridlock by our fountain set [for TV coverage], people coming in at night, and the day session going. … It needed a face lift.

On his “Red Oaks” work: I was in the final episode last year … and I am in three episodes this year. … They needed someone who was in their 50s and a tennis player. The show is starring Paul Reiser [and] is based at a tennis club. … The director reached out to me and said, “You interested?” and I said, “Sure.” And literally I like get on the plane.

On his match predictions, which extend to multiple decimal points: It started this year going to the decimal points. It is kind of funny. It is too easy to give a round number, so I try to go to the next level on that. I can’t say 24 percent; it’s 24.157. … It is amazing how many people want to know what my algorithm is, and it is like, “Man, it just rolls off my head.”

On a coaching challenge: While I was coaching Andre, I coached for about four months Mary Pierce. Andre you could go to great lengths discussing strategy; sometimes it could be for hours on end. But Mary: Maybe I think I didn’t adapt to her; maybe I had a little too much bravado. … She didn’t like to talk about it in great detail.

On the continued legacy of “Winning Ugly”: We just did a printing and new chapter in French. I think it is now in a dozen languages, from Chinese, to Japanese, to Russian, to French, and it still sells believe it or not quite a bit. … I had a player last year, a pro player, a Russian lady who was playing Wimbledon. … She had gone by the interview hall and then she said, “Can I come back,” and I was like, “Sure.” She came back and she had a book, and it was all yellowed from like when she was a kid. I was like, “Oh, my god.” It almost chokes you up.

— Daniel Kaplan

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