Tennis star Coco Gauff will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the US Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.
Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, is making her Olympic debut in Paris and will be the first tennis player to carry the US flag at the Games. She and James were chosen by Team USA athletes.
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“I never thought in a million years I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the opening ceremony,” Gauff said in a statement. “I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is.”
The 20-year-old made the American team for the Tokyo Games three years ago as a teenager but had to sit out those Olympics because she tested positive for Covid-19 shortly before she was scheduled to fly out to Japan.
Three years on, Gauff is a grand slam title winner in singles and doubles. She won her first major in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the US Open, then added her first grand slam doubles trophy at the French Open this June alongside Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on it, because I really want to fully indulge in the experience,” Gauff said of her hopes for her Olympics debut. “Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime, [but] I’ll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
The same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open will be the venue for the tennis tournament at Paris 2024. The draw to is on Thursday, and play begins on Saturday. Gauff is seeded No 2 in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind No 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, and she will be among the medal favorites.
She and her usual doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded No 1 in women’s doubles. It’s possible Gauff could also play in the mixed doubles, but those pairings have not been announced yet.
