Tennis star Coco Gauff will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the US Olympic team at Friday's opening ceremony in Paris.
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Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis player to carry the US 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 is a grand slam 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 US Open, then added her first major 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.
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.
Australian Associated Press
