Coco Gauff will become the first tennis player in history to serve as the flag bearer for Team USA when she joins LeBron James at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
The 20-year-old Gauff is the world’s second-ranked and defending U.S. Open champion. She will also become the youngest U.S. flag bearer in Olympic history, surpassing Cindy Nelson at the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics in Austria.
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Gauff represents Team USA in women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles with world No. 6 Jessica Pegula in women’s doubles and world No. 11 Taylor Fritz in mixed events.
She was initially selected to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, but a COVID-19 diagnosis forced her to miss the 2021 Games.
I just want to say thank you to my fellow U.S. Olympians/athletes for voting and choosing me to be the flag bearer for the opening ceremonies❤️. Thank you so much. I feel extremely honored. 🥹🇺🇸
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) July 24, 2024
The favorite for the singles title is world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who has won the past three French Open titles at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, home of the Olympic tennis event. Swiatek has an 11-1 record against Gauff, including a recent victory in the French Open semifinals in June.
Gauff won the women’s doubles title at that tournament with Czech partner Katrina Siniakova, whom she hopes to beat at the Olympics, who will compete with Wimbledon champion and 10-time doubles Grand Slam champion Winner Barbora Krejcikova partners.
The tennis draw will be held in Paris on Thursday at 11 a.m. ET (5 a.m. ET).
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(Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
