This year's Olympics will be special for Coco Gauff because it will be her debut at the Olympic Games, but she doesn't really want to make a big deal out of it.
The previous Games were held in 2021 in Tokyo after being moved forward one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, Gauff was one of the better players in the world, ranked 25th, and she was set to make her Olympic debut in Tokyo.
What prevented her from making a debut there was testing positive for COVID-19 in the week ahead of the Olympics, and it was a devastating moment for her.
Despite feeling completely fine, then 17-year-old player was forced to self-isolate and was not allowed to travel to Tokyo due to the protocols in place, and it was a tough pillow to swallow for the teenager.
Luckily, this year, there shouldn't be anything stopping her from playing in Paris, as the American is set to make her debut at the Olympic Games in one of her favorite cities.
It's an important moment in her tennis career and in the career of probably every athlete, but she doesn't want to make it a big deal. Speaking to the WTA a week ahead of the Olympics, Gauff admitted it was a dream come true for her, but she will focus on taking it day by day.
"It’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I was a kid, and I have the opportunity to represent my country – it means a lot. I’ve grown up a lot so now I’m just taking in the moments and being grateful for every day I get to step on the court, and every day that I get to be alive in general."
Despite not wanting to make it a big deal, Gauff understands that it is a big deal, and many people will closely monitor how she does. She wants to go out there and compete and enjoy the moment for what it is because it is a beautiful moment.
It's confirmation once more that you, as an athlete, have made it. All the hard work has paid off, and you realized your dream, so enjoying it is generally what Gauff is looking forward to.
There are expectations, and for her, it's to win the gold medal for the United States, either in singles or doubles, but whatever happens, it's still going to be a positive experience for her.
"I could probably go into it making it a big deal – which it is a big deal – but I think I play my best tennis when I try to minimise the moment as much as possible, so I’m just going to enjoy it."
"I think it’s one of those things that win or lose, it will always be a positive experience for me – even if I could experience the biggest disappointment there, I still got to compete at an Olympics. So I’m just going to try and enjoy it."