Coco Gauff is the first female tennis player to be designated as the United States’ flag bearer.
The news came just a few days before the opening ceremony. After LeBron James, the American Olympic Committee announced the appointment of tennis player Coco Gauff as the flag bearer of the delegation. The largest delegation of this Olympiad, with 592 athletes, therefore knows its two standard bearers for the opening ceremony this Friday, July 26. They will lead the penultimate boat on the Seine, as the future host country of the Games in 2028 in Los Angeles.
World number two Coco Gauff is a model of precocity in American tennis. The reigning champion of the US Open Grand Slam tournament is participating at the age of 20 in her second Olympic Games after Tokyo in 2021. However, she had to withdraw during the tournament in Japan due to a positive Covid-19 test. This time, she will be able to defend her chances on the clay of the Roland-Garros site, which hosts the tennis events, where she has already reached the final once and won a doubles title. “I never imagined I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA at the opening ceremony… I couldn’t be more proud to lead the way for my compatriots alongside LeBron,” said the American champion following her nomination.