Coco Gauff attends a press conference at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 25, 2023 in Queens, Borough of New York City. The US Open 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of being the first sporting event to provide equal prize money for male and female competitors. (Photo by Maria Velez/VIEWpress) Image Credits: Getty
“It has always been a goal of mine to represent the United States at the Olympics,” Coco Gauff has frequently expressed. Did she achieve her goal? Well, after missing out on the opportunity to make her Olympic debut in Tokyo, Gauff was highly optimistic about making it a resounding success this time. Did she succeed? No. However, she was elated to become the youngest flag bearer for Team USA at the Opening Ceremony. This journey has been filled with both tremendous highs and lows for the 20-year-old thus far. In a recent interview in Montreal, she discussed her own unique experience at this major event.
American tennis enthusiasts had high hopes for the second-ranked player in the world this time around. However, Gauff could only reach the third round in singles and the second round in the women’s doubles event. Nevertheless, she made it to the quarterfinals in mixed doubles with Taylor Fritz. Reflecting on her debut Olympic appearance, Gauff stated, “I had a fantastic experience. I mean, going from not being able to go to Tokyo to being able to come here, I just feel like, you know, in LA (2028), I’ll hopefully be on the podium.”
She continued, “I just don’t know, I just feel like that’s what life is about – experiencing disappointment and then the next time it’s like the greatest thing in the world (laughs).” Gauff revealed that her main focus now is to learn from this experience and achieve better results at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The young tennis prodigy expressed her unwavering commitment to participating in future Olympics, regardless of the outcome of her initial match. Gauff described her Olympic journey as extraordinary, from being the flag bearer to interacting with fellow athletes; she cherished every moment except for one particular incident…
Coco Gauff emphasized that the Olympics hold the same level of importance for her as the Grand Slam tournaments. The American athlete previously stated that she did not want to burden herself with excessive pressure and instead viewed the Olympics as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, deep down, she always harbored the ambition of winning a medal for her country. This aspiration was even documented in her personal vision note on her mobile phone. Gauff’s campaign began on a positive note as she surpassed Cindy Nelson’s record (1976) to become the youngest US Opening Ceremony flag bearer.
Upon hearing the announcement, Gauff became emotional and expressed, “I never imagined I would have the privilege of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the Opening Ceremony.” However, as her journey progressed, tears of joy turned into tears of anguish. Gauff claimed that she fell victim to a questionable decision made by chair umpire Jaume Campistol during her third-round match against Croatia’s Donna Vekic. Subsequently, she lost the match with a score of 7-6(7), 6-2, and broke down in tears, lamenting, “It always happens to me here at the French Open. Every time.”
Although this was not the ideal conclusion to her debut campaign, every defeat offers valuable lessons. American tennis enthusiasts now anticipate Gauff’s ability to learn from this experience and stage a triumphant comeback on home soil in 2028.
Photo from Coco Gauff Instagram
