Coco Gauff to be female flag bearer for USA at Olympic opening ceremony, joining LeBron James

Coco Gauff to be female flag bearer for USA at Olympic opening ceremony, joining LeBron James

Tennis star Coco Gauff will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.

Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis athlete to carry the U.S. flag. She and James were chosen by Team USA athletes.

“I mean, for me, the Olympics is a top priority. I would say equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn’t put it above or below, just because I’ve never played before. This is my first time,” Gauff said earlier this year. “Obviously, I always want to do well, try to get a medal.”

 

Gauff and James, the 39-year-old leading scorer in NBA history, both compete in sports that are outside the traditional Olympic world and get attention year-round, not just every four years.

The 20-year-old Gauff 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 right before she was supposed to fly to Japan.

Now Gauff, who is based in Florida, is a Grand Slam title winner in singles and doubles. She won her first major championship in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, then added her first Grand Slam doubles trophy at the French Open this June alongside Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

The same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open will be where matches are going to be held for the Paris Olympics. The draw to set the brackets is Thursday, and play begins on Friday.

Gauff is seeded No. 2 in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, and 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 be entered in mixed doubles, but those pairings have not been announced yet.

“I’m not putting too much pressure on it, because I really want to fully indulge in the experience,” Gauff said about 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.”

You can view the original article HERE.

Drugs, Alcohol NOT Suspected In Alijah Arenas Car Accident
Drugs, Alcohol NOT Suspected In Alijah Arenas Car Accident
Nicki Minaj’s Latest Hit Sparks Debate Over TikTok Overplay
Nicki Minaj’s Latest Hit Sparks Debate Over TikTok Overplay
Chris Johnson Sends Message To Cam Ward After Titans Pick, ‘We’ve Got Your Back’
Chris Johnson Sends Message To Cam Ward After Titans Pick, ‘We’ve Got Your Back’
Boosie BadAzz Sparks Outrage With Anti-Trans Comments
Boosie BadAzz Sparks Outrage With Anti-Trans Comments
It's the 'Rick and Morty' Season 8 Trailer, Bruh
It's the 'Rick and Morty' Season 8 Trailer, Bruh
Chaz Ebert Says ILLUMINATE Film Festival Will Help Light The Way | Chaz’s Journal
Chaz Ebert Says ILLUMINATE Film Festival Will Help Light The Way | Chaz’s Journal
Netflix Action Thriller ‘Bullet Train Explosion’ Finds Quick Success on Streaming
Netflix Action Thriller ‘Bullet Train Explosion’ Finds Quick Success on Streaming
Francis Ford Coppola’s 2024 Box Office Bomb Is Already Getting Remade, But in an Unexpected Way
Francis Ford Coppola’s 2024 Box Office Bomb Is Already Getting Remade, But in an Unexpected Way
“I can’t see Eternal ever getting back together – our baseline beliefs are different”
“I can’t see Eternal ever getting back together – our baseline beliefs are different”
EFF YOU! I’m Living My Dream!
EFF YOU! I’m Living My Dream!
Modest Mouse have announced a second new festival
Modest Mouse have announced a second new festival
Cillian Murphy’s iconic ‘Peaky Blinders’ suit up for auction
Cillian Murphy’s iconic ‘Peaky Blinders’ suit up for auction
Report: Butler’s Game 3 availability in jeopardy due to glute contusion
Report: Butler’s Game 3 availability in jeopardy due to glute contusion
5 Reasons Sports Betting Is the Ultimate Game-Day Companion
5 Reasons Sports Betting Is the Ultimate Game-Day Companion
Butler exits Game 2 loss to Rockets with pelvis injury
Butler exits Game 2 loss to Rockets with pelvis injury
Bears great Steve McMichael dies at 67 after battle with ALS
Bears great Steve McMichael dies at 67 after battle with ALS
Impossible’ Team Talk Filming in Beautiful Svalbard, Norway
Impossible’ Team Talk Filming in Beautiful Svalbard, Norway
Every Season of ‘Bosch’ & ‘Bosch: Legacy,’ Ranked
Every Season of ‘Bosch’ & ‘Bosch: Legacy,’ Ranked
Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 18 Shocks Audiences with a Pivotal Character’s Murder
Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 18 Shocks Audiences with a Pivotal Character’s Murder
‘The Accountant 2’ Can Be a Box Office Hit by Avoiding One Mistake
‘The Accountant 2’ Can Be a Box Office Hit by Avoiding One Mistake
Carolina Herrera’s NYFW Break, David Beckham’s Boss Collab!
Carolina Herrera’s NYFW Break, David Beckham’s Boss Collab!
I Let My Spotify Daylist Pick My Outfits For a Week
I Let My Spotify Daylist Pick My Outfits For a Week
Lisa Sun: The Confidence Catalyst Redefining Fashion and Empowerment
Lisa Sun: The Confidence Catalyst Redefining Fashion and Empowerment
Linda Evangelista’s Powerful Beauty, Tina Knowles’ New Book, & More!
Linda Evangelista’s Powerful Beauty, Tina Knowles’ New Book, & More!