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Coco Gauff, at just 20 years old, will proudly carry the U.S. flag at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, becoming the youngest American ever to receive this prestigious honor. She joins LeBron James as the male flag bearer and makes history as the first tennis player to lead the U.S. team at an opening or closing ceremony.
Selected by her fellow U.S. Olympic team members through a vote, Gauff managed to keep her emotions in check, stating: “I’m not gonna cry. I’m OK.”
Gauff will surpass Cindy Nelson, an Alpine skier from the 1976 Winter Games, as the youngest U.S. flag bearer for an opening ceremony. Additionally, she becomes the first Olympic rookie to carry the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony since runner Lopez Lomong in 2008.
@cocogauff still shocked 🤯 but incredibly honored 🇺🇸🥹 #olympics #teamusa #tennis ♬ original sound – Coco Gauff
After missing the Tokyo Olympics due to a positive COVID-19 test, Gauff is now ranked No. 2 in the world and is a top contender in the women’s singles event with world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland. She is joined by Jessica Pegula in the Top 10, making the U.S. the only nation with two Top 10 singles players on its women’s Olympic team.
United States Olympic Tennis Team
Women’s Singles: Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro
Women’s Doubles: Coco Gauff/Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins/Desirae Krawczyk
Men’s Singles: Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Christopher Eubanks, Marcos Giron
Men’s Doubles: Taylor Fritz/Tommy Paul, Rajeev Ram/Austin Krajicek
The Paris 2024 Olympic Tennis Event will be held on outdoor clay at Roland Garros, where Gauff was the 2022 French Open singles runner-up to Iga Swiatek. 184 players from 40 nations will compete across five events: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
The opening ceremony is set for Friday, July 26 and will feature a unique procession of boats carrying the athletes along the Seine River, passing by iconic Paris landmarks. (source: NBC Olympics, photo: Jimmie48)
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