By Amanda LeMay
2011 was supposed to be a continuation of the breakout 2010 season for Ernests Gulbis. He had finally settled into a routine, gotten some much needed confidence, gotten some big wins and perhaps most importantly, found a perfect team. (He traveled for most of 2010 with his father, his coach, Hernan Gumy and his trainer, Michael Novotny). The lead-ups to the Aussie Open were promising. A quarterfinal showing in Doha followed by a semi in Sydney gave every indication that he might finally break through (again) at a major. But a very disappointing first round loss to Benjamin Becker was the result and this seemed to lead into a string of early losses which would define his spring season.
One possible reason for the struggles was that, in April, Ernests parted ways with Coach Gumy. Although the split was amicable, Gulbis lacked direction and focus without his friend and mentor on board with him. He continued on with help here and there from Darren Cahill and the Adidas team but, with the exception of a quarterfinal showing in Nice, the clay brought dismal results. And unfortunately with the loss of his 2010 clay season points, it brought a dramatic drop in his ranking as well. Ranked in the mid 80s in May, Ernests lost in straight sets in the first round at the French Open. Later, fans would discover that he had been struggling with a respiratory illness for the better part of the year and was not at full strength for many of his matches.
Grass season saw him start to recover his health and perhaps more importantly pick up a new coach. Former ATP player Guillermo Canas was officially hired to replace Gumy in June and things seemed to be looking up for the Latvian. Despite the fact that Canas was a bit of a “clay specialist†he seemed to bring some much needed spirit to Ernests’ game and perhaps a bit of fire to his practice regime. Although the results were slow to come (no wins in the grass season and a first round loss in the first leg of the US hard court season) he would soon have his biggest moment of the year in Los Angeles. Defeating 2009 US Open champ Juan Martin Del Potro along the way and #9 Mardy Fish in the final, Gulbis took his second title at the Farmer’s Classic in July. After the win he talked of how much the title meant to him this time around given his struggles during the year. “It gives me a huge boost in confidence. Mardy is No. 9 in the world and today I played a good match” he said.
He managed to carry this new found confidence into the Montreal Master’s Series where he received a wildcard and made it to the round of 16 before Fish got some revenge for their previous meeting. Still, it was a good showing and he won another three matches before entering the US Open, unseeded and without a grand slam win since Wimbledon 2009. Fans were hoping for something big and they got it when he defeated #15 Mikhail Youzhny in straights and on his 23rd birthday no less. As a testament to his commitment, when asked in his post match interview about his plans for the evening he replied “Try to go to bed early. Enough with the celebrations. I’ve had enough celebrations in my life.” Nevertheless, he went on to lose in round two of the Open (in four hard sets to Gilles Muller) and had a poor end to the season as well. In late October, though, the Latvian press announced that Ernests had parted with Canas and would be back with Hernan Gumy for the 2012 season. Most Gulbis fans are really happy about this news and for what it might hold for the upcoming year. So what’s in store for the most unpredictable player on the tour? Who knows, but I’m certainly going to tune in to see.
Amanda LeMay is based in Memphis, TN. She covered the 2011 Memphis ATP event for this site and also penned the acclaimed essay “Why I Love Tennis.”
Dan Markowitz · November 11, 2011 at 12:57 am
Thank you, Amanda, for an accounting of one of the most perplexing players on tour. When you look at Gulbis play at his best, in Los Angeles and the first round of the Open where he beat Youzhny, who has been going down fast of late, too, you think he can be a Top 10 player. But he is a total enigma. There’s something lost in his head or his entire makeup.
I like the guy because he’s one of the few remaining characters in the game today. But he can’t be taken seriously and it doesn’t matter if Gumy, Canas or Brad Gilbert is his coach, in my opinion. He could Harry Hopman directing him and Gulbis would still under-perform. Maybe his game is too mechanic or he doesn’t really care that much or like other Eastern European players, he’s just too stubborn in his approach. But whatever it is, I’ve stopped waiting for the Gulbis boat to sail.
Scoop Malinowski · November 11, 2011 at 1:30 am
I think he really wanted it this year Dan. I watched a lot of his match loss to Muller at the US Open, the determination was there but with his big swings he just can’t maintain top form for more than a few matches in a row. He can play spectacular tennis here and there and get on hot streaks for a week but to continuously beat the TOP players doesn’t look likely to happen. I think Gulbis is more like a dangerman out there, like a Wayne Ferreira, Philippoussis, Gonzalez light. I think he’s gone as far as he can go. Just don’t think it’s physically possible for him to reach the top 5, he can play top 5 tennis on occasion though, like he did in LA beating Fish this year. The thing he has going for him is that he’s very smart and you never know he might mature and figure something out.
Amanda · November 14, 2011 at 2:25 pm
I think he suffers from a lack of confidence on court, too. We know he has all the shots but knowing what to do and when to do it often alludes him. Anyway thanks for your comments!
Dan Markowitz · November 14, 2011 at 6:10 pm
I think in pro tennis–as in other very demanding pursuits–it helps not to be too intelligent. Once your mind starts contemplating a lot of things, including whether it’s worth it for you to be toiling so hard at a pursuit such as hitting a ball over a net, you can’t give that single, undivided attention. I don’t think Gulbis is ridiculously-talented, but he certainly is very talented. Guys like Federer and Nadal, they’re intelligent, but they’re very simple guys. Gulbis strikes me as a guy who likes to check out different things. Big mistake when you’re a pro player.
I thought it was telling in Break Point, where Vince said he sees Safin going out to a Real Madrid game the day before playing in a match. And he was surprised because most players didn’t check out things in the cities they played in.
Jess Stein · November 14, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Hope 2012 will be great for Ernie & Gumy. The 2011 was unfortunate and complicated with his illness and coaching situations, still he pulled out a W of a tourney. Not bad.
Scoop Malinowski · November 14, 2011 at 7:06 pm
His game is so bluntly clear, just all out offensive firepower. When those errors inevitably happen it breaks his confidence. Agassi used to be the same way, then he changed to be more strategic. Maybe the Agassi/Gilbert methodology is the blueprint for Gulbis. But it seems that might not be the way he would like to play. Sort of like trying to modify George Foreman or Rocky Marciano into Jim Tunney.
Scoop Malinowski · November 14, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Winning Los Angeles was a magnificent win, especially the way he beat Fish and Del Potro. That was top 5 quality tennis that week. Thanks for your comment Jessica and welcome to the site.
loreley · November 15, 2011 at 8:20 am
Great article and interesting comments.
Gulbis was handicaped by enduring illness and coach changing this season.
Yet he tried it hard. He played 25 tournaments and was even on site for 3 other tourneys he had to withdraw, because of illness. Rotterdam, Madrid and Rome. I guess he was mentally drained after his tight loss against Muller at the US Open.
That he comes from a small country with no tennis tradition makes it also difficult for him. There are no other players from Latvia on tour. Look how well Tipsarevic and Troicki did this year, just because the success of Djokovic motivates them. To play for patriotic reasons like the Serbs or the Americans to motivate these guys also.
loreley · November 15, 2011 at 8:22 am
*motivates
Scoop Malinowski · November 15, 2011 at 1:06 pm
That has to be some kind of record to appear at three events and not play due to illness. Tough luck. I think you are right Loreley, it’s a disadvantage for the sole players who come from non-tennis countries, where they are all alone – Muller from Lux, Baghdatis from Cyp, Rios from Chile, Spadea from Planet Spadea (just kidding). Raonic might have that same problem as he’s the only top singles player from Canada though maybe Pospisil will join him soon. It’s definitely a big advantage to be part of a system like Spain, France, Russia, and like you say Loreley, Serbia, those players are always together, practicing, dinner, helping each other. Bag actually told me he has no friends on the Tour. Spadea told me the same thing in his Biofile. Andy Murray just talked about this in that huge interview he did this week with Martin Samuel, how there’s no other singles players from Scotland and UK. I think that these players don’t have that sense of team and camaraderie among the players and it adversely affects their performance. Then again, some players thrive off being loners – Pancho Gonzales, Chang, and perhaps Rios too.