Coco Gauff will finally achieve a lifelong dream when she represents the United States at the Olympic Games and in Paris and she is relishing the fact that she is following in the footsteps of tennis great Serena Williams.
Back in 2021, the then 17-year-old Gauff was set to make her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games but she tested positive for COVID on the eve of the event and was forced to withdraw.
Just over three years later and the 20-year-old will realise her Olympic goal as she headlines a star-studded tennis squad from the United States that also features Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins and Emma Navarro in the women’s singles draw.
Ahead of the 2024 Games, Gauff penned an open letter to her 17-year-old self following her Tokyo heartbreak.
“Your eyes don’t deceive you – that’s a positive COVID-19 test. The next one you take will be positive too, as will the third. It’s official – you have COVID, and it’s ruining all your big plans,” the letter on the NBC Olympics website states.
“You have your bags packed, a plane ticket purchased and a coveted spot at the greatest athletic event in the world, the Olympic Games. Now that lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian will be delayed and you’re devastated.
“Behind a stream of tears, you’re going to wonder how you’ll ever be able to break the news to your team captain. Your teammates and friends will have to contend on behalf of your country without you.
“With a new day though, you’ll have a new attitude. What else can you do? While your Olympic goal is seemingly on hold, people around the globe are in crises, battling COVID, with real pressure, real hardship and real-life struggles. You’re just missing a big tournament.”
Gauff will be the second seed at the Paris Games and she hopes to follow in the footsteps of 23-time Grand Slam winner Williams, who won four Olympic gold medals (one in the singles and three in the doubles).
But it is not just in terms of medals that Gauff wants to emulate her hero as she also wants to “break barriers”.
The reigning US Open champion added: “It’s always been an honor to represent the United States. As a member of the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team, you will rally for the red, white and blue throughout your career, a distinct privilege you will enjoy.
“While tennis is an individual sport, you relish the relationships with your teammates. You’ve been lucky enough that your on-court relationships have turned into off-court friendships. One of those notable friendships is with your idol, Serena Williams.
“Serena was once just a stranger printed on a poster hanging in your room, and now you still can’t believe she’s a friend and mentor. Her profound impact on tennis, what it means to be a champion and to break barriers is a legacy you hope to uphold and carry with you into your first Olympic Games.
“So, I’ll spoil the story for you – you do get to finally play at your first Olympic Games in Paris. The excitement is overwhelming. You can’t wait to travel with your teammates, to take on the Olympic tennis tournament and hopefully increase the United States’ medal count that you continually check each Olympics.”
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