Paris 2024: Gauff to Lead U.S. Tennis Team at Olympics After Missing Tokyo Games Due to COVID-19

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Washington, Jun 20: Coco Gauff will headline the U.S. tennis team at the upcoming Paris Olympics, three years after a positive COVID-19 test sidelined her from the Tokyo Games.

The 20-year-old, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, will be joined by a strong lineup of American players as they aim for Olympic glory on the famous clay courts of Roland Garros.

The women's singles team features Gauff, No. 5-ranked Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins, and Emma Navarro. On the men's side, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Chris Eubanks, and Marcos Giron will compete in singles events. The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) announced the roster on Thursday, highlighting that six of the eight singles players are making their Olympic debuts.

Gauff, who captured the U.S. Open title and reached the semifinals at both the Australian Open and French Open this year, is expected to be a strong contender for medals in both singles and doubles.

She was the runner-up at the French Open in 2022 and has formed a formidable doubles partnership with Pegula, winning five titles together. Gauff also secured her first major doubles title at the French Open this month alongside Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

Pegula, returning from a neck injury that caused her to miss the French Open, has shown strong singles form, reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2022. Collins, who announced that this will be her final season on tour, has had a successful year, winning titles in Miami and Charleston and reaching the finals in Strasbourg.

In doubles, Collins will team up with Desirae Krawczyk, a four-time Grand Slam champion in mixed doubles. Navarro, ranked No. 17, is coming off a fourth-round appearance at the French Open and will be making her Olympic debut.

The men's team is led by Fritz, the highest-ranked American at No. 12, and Paul, ranked No. 13. Eubanks and Giron, ranked 44th and 53rd respectively, complete the singles lineup. Paul and Giron both competed in Tokyo and bring valuable experience to the team.

Veteran doubles player Rajeev Ram, 40, will make his third Olympic appearance, partnering with Austin Krajicek. Fritz and Paul will also compete in doubles. Ram, a four-time major doubles champion, previously won a mixed doubles silver medal with Venus Williams at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

The USTA plans to announce one mixed doubles team for the Paris Olympics at a later date. Olympic tennis events are set to begin on July 27 at Roland Garros, promising an exciting showdown as top athletes from around the world vie for the prestigious medals.

(With AP Inputs)