Coco Gauff is an athlete known worldwide, still, she will feel nervous when fulfilling her flag-bearer duty at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At 20 years of age, the young American has ticked of many of the boxes that her peers could only dream of. She is the World No. 2 player on the WTA Tour, a Grand Slam champion, and now, she will be also the flag-bearer for the United States at the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris.
It's an honor that only a few athletes got to experience, and for Gauff, it will be a huge privilege, given how much she values the Olympics, especially since she was forced to miss the Games in 2021.
"I think the Olympics to me is really special because it's, you know, the only chance and only opportunity where all these sports come together and play at the same time, around in the same city, and live together, essentially."
"It's just a sense of camaraderie, patriotism and just pride in representing your country, representing yourself and honestly representing your sport in a way. That's what I feel like I'm doing, with being flag bearer."
"I just feel like I'm not only representing my country, but I feel like I'm also representing the sport of tennis. And I think that's a great thing, and I'm honestly very honoured to do that."
Like almost every country, the United States also nominated two athletes to be flag-bearers for at the opening ceremony, which will carry the country's flag during the opening ceremony, which is scheduled for Friday, July 26th, 2024, from 19:30 CEST local time.
For Gauff, the fellow flag-bearer for the US Olympic Team will be no other than LeBron James, who is the legend of the NBA and the country's leader in the basketball tournament at the Olympic Games.
Getting to meet James is for Gauff one of the most nerve-racking parts of the flag-bearing experience, as the two will get a chance to meet and talk before they carry their country's flag.
"I think meeting LeBron James, that's the most exciting part about it. Most nervous, I'm just hoping it is not too hot. I know we're going to be in the water and we're going to be in those blazers."
Gauff, who loves to record TikToks, and did a few already in Paris with her teammates, was immediately asked whether she would also ask James to record one with her.
"I haven't met him yet so I don't think I'll have the confidence to do that. But my team is really nagging me about getting pins from him so I will try to ask him for pins for my team and my captain, but I don't know, I'm kind of scared."
"I'm literally going in blind. I've been looking at pictures of other opening ceremonies but I don't think anyone has ever done it on a boat so I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I just hope I don't drop it and I hope it's not too high."
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