Coco Gauff’s former coach Brad Gilbert is putting the forgotten tennis legend back in the spotlight in light of Maria Sharapova’s Hall of Fame induction

Maria Sharapova may have left the tennis courts in 2020, but she hasn’t left the spotlight. The former tennis sensation continues to fascinate her fans and make headlines with every new success she achieves. And this time it’s a big event – her well-deserved induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame. Wishes and congratulations poured in from all parts of the tennis world. But amid the cheers and accolades, a new wave of demands has emerged – especially from someone knowledgeable about tennis strategy and success: Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert.

Gilbert, who is known for his sharp shots, has once again joined the fray and shared that, especially in the doubles category, there are more players who deserve to be honored with a similar performance like Sharapova and Bryan Brothers. Remember, the International Tennis Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that the Russian sensation and former American players would be inducted into the Class of 2025 and join the glorious club.

Gilbert commented, picked up his X and wrote: “On the men’s side, there are a lot of doubles players who are definitely 💯 HOF worthy.” He mentioned the names of former ATP stars who have not been in the spotlight much since their retirement. “Fleming Flat Seguso Leach. In my humble opinion, Nestor is a no-brainer.” Gilbert continued to write.

While Rick Leach, Peter Fleming, Robert Seguso and Ken Flach are former American players, Daniel Nestor represented Canada during his career. For those inexperienced, all of these players have reached the world No. 1 doubles ranking at some point in their respective careers. Nestor collected 91 doubles titles in his career and won eight Grand Slam doubles events. He also won the doubles category at the 2000 Olympic Games. Peter Fleming has also won seven Grand Slams in doubles and a total of 60 doubles titles in his career. The records are no less for other players either.

Rick Leach won a total of 46 titles in his doubles career and won five Grand Slam tournaments. Flach and Seguso, meanwhile, each won four Grand Slams and collected 34 and 29 titles, respectively, over the course of their doubles careers. These remarkable achievements by the players led Gilbert to demand the same honor for the players. But right now, Maria Sharapova is the focus. And the star player herself couldn’t contain her gratitude as she penned an emotional message for her fans.

“Look at what we have achieved,” Maria Sharapova expresses her gratitude to fans

The Russian tennis sensation experienced remarkable success after being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame for her successful tennis career. For those who don’t know, Maria Sharapova won five Grand Slams on all three surfaces. She was also a silver medalist at the 2012 Olympics. The Russian star secured the number one spot in the world rankings for the first time in 2005 at the young age of 18 and became the first Russian woman to top the individual rankings. And now that she’s been given the great honor, she couldn’t be more grateful.

Following the announcement, Sharapova penned an emotional message to X, writing: “Incredibly grateful to receive this honor. A big thank you to the Hall of Fame and all voters.” Sharapova continued by expressing her gratitude to everyone who has supported her throughout her career. “Most importantly, this recognition is such a beautiful reminder of the deep appreciation I have for my fans. Each of you has made me reach for the stars and see what we have accomplished together. Thanks” she added.

As Sharapova prepares to take her place among tennis legends, it is clear that the excitement surrounding her career is far from over. It will now be interesting to see whether more demands like Gilbert’s are heeded in the future.