PARIS, France — Coco Gauff is one of the brightest stars in tennis -- and she has been recognized as such, being named a Team USA flag bearer for the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony.
The 20-year-old is the reigning U.S. Open champion and reached the semifinals this year at both the Australian Open and French Open. She heads to Paris as the No. 2 ranked player in the world.
Christopher Eubanks is a longtime friend of Gauff and her family. In a statement, he said he was "incredibly proud of Coco" after she was chosen as a flag bearer.
"I know how great she is as a tennis player, but more importantly, how great she is as a person,” Eubanks said. "I don’t think there is anyone more deserving of this honor, and I’m excited to see her carry the flag as she leads our U.S. delegation at the opening ceremony."
Gauff's father is a former basketball player for Georgia State, and she spent her younger childhood growing up in Atlanta before the family moved to Florida.
When is Coco Gauff's first match in the Olympics?
Gauf's first Olympic match will be on Saturday, July 27, when she plays in the first round of the Women's Doubles. She and Jessica Pegula will play against Australians Daria Saville and Ellen Perez.
As for women's singles, Gauf is expected to face off against another Australian, Ajla Tomliganovic. This game is also expected to take place sometime over the weekend, either Saturday, July 27 or Sunday, July 28. However, the Olympic committee is still working on establishing the order of competition, which will determine a specific day.
