Coco Gauff will become the first tennis player in history to serve as Team USA’s flag bearer when she joins LeBron James at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Gauff, 20, is the world No. 2 and defending US Open champion. She also becomes the youngest American flag bearer in Olympic history, overtaking Cindy Nelson, who filled the role at the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Games in Austria.
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Gauff will represent Team USA in women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles, joining world No. 6 Jessica Pegula in women’s doubles and men’s No. 11 Taylor Fritz in the mixed event.
She was initially selected to play in the Tokyo Games, but a COVID-19 diagnosis forced her to sit out 2021.
I would like to thank my fellow Olympians/athletes on the US Team for voting and choosing me for this incredible honor of being the Flag Bearer for the Opening Ceremony ❤️. Thank you so much. I am incredibly honored. 🥹🇺🇸
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) July 24, 2024
The favorite for the singles title is world number 1 Iga Swiatek, who has won the last three French Open titles at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, the venue for the Olympic tennis events. Swiatek has an 11-1 head-to-head record against Gauff, including a recent win in the semifinals of this year’s French Open in June.
Gauff, who won the women’s doubles title at that tournament with partner Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, hopes to beat her at the Games, where Siniakova will play with Wimbledon champion and 10-time Grand Slam doubles winner Barbora Krejcikova.
The draws for the tennis events will take place on Thursday at 11am Paris/5am ET.
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(Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)