Coco Gauff joins LeBron as Staff USA Paris Olympics flag bearer

PARIS — Tennis star Coco Gauff will be a part of LeBron James as a flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic staff at Friday’s opening ceremony.

Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is about to make her Olympic debut on the Paris Video games and would be the first tennis athlete to hold the U.S. flag. She and James have been chosen by Staff USA athletes.

“I imply, for me, the Olympics is a high precedence. I’d say equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn’t put it above or beneath, simply because I’ve by no means performed earlier than. That is my first time,” Gauff stated earlier this 12 months. “Clearly, I at all times need to do properly, attempt to get a medal.”

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Gauff and James, the 39-year-old main scorer in NBA historical past, each compete in sports activities which are exterior the standard Olympic world and get consideration year-round, not simply each 4 years.

The 20-year-old Gauff made the American staff for the Tokyo Video games three years in the past as a youngster however needed to sit out these Olympics as a result of she examined constructive for COVID-19 proper earlier than she was presupposed to fly to Japan.

Now Gauff, who is predicated in Florida, is a Grand Slam title winner in singles and doubles. She received her first main championship in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka within the singles remaining of the U.S. Open, then added her first Grand Slam doubles trophy on the French Open this June alongside Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

The identical clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open shall be the place matches are going to be held for the Paris Olympics. The draw to set the brackets is Thursday, and play begins on Saturday.

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Gauff is seeded No. 2 in singles, matching her present WTA rating behind No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, and shall be among the many medal favorites.

She and her common doubles companion, Jessica Pegula, are seeded No. 1 in girls’s doubles. It’s potential Gauff is also entered in combined doubles, however these pairings haven’t been introduced but.

“I’m not placing an excessive amount of strain on it, as a result of I actually need to totally indulge within the expertise,” Gauff stated about her Olympics debut. “Hopefully I can have the expertise a number of instances in my lifetime, (however) I’ll deal with it as a once-in-a-lifetime expertise.”