If LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, was announced on Monday 22 July as the male flag bearer for Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, now it’s time for Coco Gauff, his female flag-bearer partner announced on Tuesday 23 July. The tennis star will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.

Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis athlete to carry the U.S. flag. She and James were chosen by Team USA athletes.

The 20-year-old Gauff made the American team for the Tokyo Games three years ago as a teenager but had to sit out those Olympics because she tested positive for COVID-19 right before she was supposed to fly to Japan.

Now Gauff, who is based in Florida, is a Grand Slam title winner in singles and doubles. She won her first major championship in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, then added her first Grand Slam doubles trophy at the French Open this June alongside Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

The same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open will be where matches are going to be held for the Paris Olympics. The draw to set the brackets is Thursday, and play begins on Saturday. Gauff is seeded No. 2 in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, and will be among the medal favourites.

She and her usual doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded No. 1 in women’s doubles. It’s possible Gauff could also be entered in mixed doubles, but those pairings have not been announced yet.

One week ahead

Olympic tennis starts on 27 July at Roland Garros, where Gauff fell to world number one and eventual champion Iga Świątek in the French Open semi-finals this month. Gauff, who was runner-up to Swiatek in the 2022 French Open, also reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open this year.

The 20-year-old will be a contender in women's doubles as well, teaming with Pegula on the same Roland Garros courts where they claimed the French Open doubles crown, their fifth doubles title as a team. 

Gauff had been slated for a Tokyo Games appearance at the age of 17, but tested positive for Covid days before the Olympics started to miss out on "a dream come true".

Kathy Rinaldi will coach the women's US Olympic team, which will also see Collins team with Desirae Krawczyk in doubles. The men will be coached by 2012 Olympic doubles gold medallist Bob Bryan. 

Fritz and Paul will team up in doubles, where the US will also be represented by Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.Also, the mixed doubles team will be taken from the qualified players and named at a later date.