Coco Gauff leads US tennis team Paris Olympics missing Tokyo

Coco Gauff to lead U.S. tennis team at Paris Olympics after missing Tokyo Games. Young stars and veterans set to compete.

Coco Gauff, the talented 20-year-old tennis player ranked No. 2 in the world, will be leading the U.S. tennis team at the upcoming Paris Olympics. This comes three years after she missed the Tokyo Games due to testing positive for COVID-19. Gauff will be accompanied by No. 5 Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Chris Eubanks, and Marcos Giron in the women's and men's singles events.

The Olympic tennis action is set to kick off on July 27 at Roland Garros, the prestigious venue that hosts the French Open. The U.S. team comprises six first-time Olympians, as confirmed by the U.S. Tennis Association in a recent announcement. Gauff, who recently clinched the US Open title and reached the semifinals of the Australian and French Opens, is a strong contender for a medal in both singles and doubles events.

Gauff and Pegula have a successful history as a doubles team, having won five titles together. Gauff also secured her first major doubles title with Katerina Siniakova at the French Open this year. Pegula, who made a comeback from a neck injury, reached the quarterfinals at the French Open in 2022. Collins, a two-time title winner this year, has announced that this will be her last season on tour. She will be teaming up with doubles player Desirae Krawczyk for the Paris Games.

On the men's side, Fritz and Paul are the top-ranked Americans, followed by Eubanks and Giron. Rajeev Ram, a 40-year-old veteran with four major doubles titles, will be making his third Olympic appearance. Ram, who won a silver medal in mixed doubles at the 2016 Rio Games with Venus Williams, will partner with Austin Krajicek in Paris. Fritz and Paul will also team up for the doubles event.

The USTA plans to announce the mixed doubles team for Paris at a later date. The American contingent is gearing up for a strong showing at the Olympics, with a mix of experienced players and rising stars ready to make their mark on the international stage.