Gauff competed in all three categories at the multi-sport event, with high expectations from the tennis world. However, things took a turn for the worse for the World No. 2. She suffered consecutive losses and had an emotional outburst during her second-round match against Donna Vekic, which shocked fans. Despite these setbacks, Gauff has returned from Paris with a silver lining.
As she prepares for the Cincinnati Masters, Gauff, a former World No. 1, reflected on her Olympic experience. She emphasized that her time in Paris was not a complete failure. She had the opportunity to meet several American sports icons and proudly represent her country alongside basketball legend LeBron James, who was the US flag-bearer. Gauff also learned valuable lessons from this experience and hopes to use them to her advantage.
She stated, “Obviously, things didn’t go as planned, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The people I met and the lessons I learned will stay with me forever. I’m working on being more aggressive, which I’m happy about, but I also need to have a more positive mentality on the court.”
For those who may not know, the 20-year-old previously expressed her acceptance of her Olympic loss. In a conversation with reporters, she humorously remarked, “I just feel like that’s what life consists of – having a disappointing result and then the next time is like the best thing in the world (laughs).”
Despite her setback, Gauff remains determined to win a gold medal. She is so committed that, despite her disappointing performance in Paris, she plans to compete in all three categories again at the 2028 LA Olympics.
Coco Gauff had been eagerly awaiting her Olympics debut for four years. She had to miss the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to contracting Covid-19 at the last minute. Despite the unexpected challenges, the American talent never anticipated her Paris journey to end on a disappointing note. However, Gauff is not giving up. Despite her misfortune, the 20-year-old openly expressed her ambitions for the 2028 edition of the Olympics in Los Angeles.
During a pre-tournament press conference at the Canadian Open, the World No. 2 confidently stated that she intends to compete in all three categories at the Olympics. She said, “I didn’t get the full experience in Paris, as I lost early in singles. At that point, I hadn’t even played doubles yet, so I would definitely participate in all three events again if possible in 2028.”
Photo from LeBron James Instagram
