Coco Gauff was born in Delray Beach, Florida, on March 13, 2004. The young American tennis player is ranked No. 2 in the WTA, and at 20 years old, she will be the youngest flag bearer in the history of the United States at the Olympics.
Coco Gauff is an American professional tennis player and is No. 2 in the WTA ranking.
Coco Gauff began playing tennis at the age of seven. She grew up in a family of athletes: her father, Corey, was a basketball player at Georgia State University, and her mother, Candi, was a standout track and field athlete, representing Florida State University. Both parents decided to leave their careers and professions to support Coco in her journey as a tennis player.
From a young age, Gauff has demonstrated exceptional talent. As a junior athlete, she dazzled by winning tournaments such as Roland Garros. In 2019, while ranked 313th in the world professionally, she qualified for Wimbledon. Corinne made her Grand Slam debut by defeating multiple Major champions and childhood idol Venus Williams in the first round.
A few days later, entering as a 'Lucky Loser,' Gauff won the WTA 250 event in Linz at 15 years old, defeating 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko. Her name was destined to enter history.
After winning the WTA 250 event in Parma and continuing to rise in the rankings, Gauff's career took a definitive leap when she reached the final of the 2022 French Open, which she ultimately lost to Iga Świątek. Despite the defeat, she broke into the top 5 of the WTA rankings that year.
2023 was undoubtedly Gauff's breakout year. The American tennis prodigy achieved global stardom by winning four titles that year, including the 2023 US Open, the biggest achievement of her young career. In the final, she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. As 2024 begins, Gauff has already claimed a title in Auckland and has reached No. 2 in the WTA rankings.
Tennis star Coco Gauff will be the United States flag bearer at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony alongside LeBron James.
The current US Open champion will lead the opening ceremony along the Seine River after being chosen by her fellow athletes. "I never thought I would have the honor of carrying the American flag in the opening ceremony," Gauff said upon hearing the news.
The youngest flag bearer in US Olympic history will compete for the first time in the singles tournament and in doubles alongside Jessica Pegula. Gauff was close to participating in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, which were delayed by the pandemic, but she did not compete after testing positive for COVID-19.
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