Coco Gauff scheduled to make Olympic debut after missing Tokyo Games
Coco Gauff.
Coco Gauff is set to make her highly anticipated Olympic debut.
On Thursday, the USTA announced that Gauff will be part of a team that features Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins and Emma Navarro in women's singles and Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Chris Eubanks, and Marcos Giron in men's singles.
Gauff will also play doubles with Pegula. The pair recently won their first major doubles title at the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros, the site of the Olympic tennis tournament.
Three years ago, Gauff was slated to play in the Tokyo Olympics, but she tested positive for COVID-19, forcing her to miss the tournament.
"I am so disappointed to share the news that I have tested positive for COVID and won't be able to play in the Olympic Games in Tokyo," she wrote on her X account. "It has always been a dream of mine to represent the USA at the Olympics, and I hope there will be many more chances for me to make this come true in the future."
Gauff, 20, should shine in Paris. The No. 2-ranked player in the world has yet to win a Grand Slam this year, but she's still playing some of the best tennis of her career. The 2023 U.S. Open champion has a 30-9 record and made the semifinals at the French Open and Australian Open.
As of Thursday, FanDuel gives Gauff the second-best odds (+650) to win the gold medal behind Iga Swiatek (-195), the No. 1 player in the world.
Swiatek, 23, has been on a tear in 2024, posting a 45-4 record and winning five singles titles, including the French Open. However, like Gauff, she is attempting to capture her first medal after losing in the second round at Tokyo.
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