In an announcement by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee on Wednesday, US Open champion Coco Gauff has been chosen as Team USA’s female flag bearer for the upcoming Paris Olympics, making history as the first U.S. tennis player to be a flag bearer for Team USA.
The 20-year-old will share this prestigious honor with four-time NBA champion LeBron James, with the duo set to lead the American delegation in the opening ceremony on the Seine River this Friday.
LeBron James and Coco Gauff were chosen as the U.S. flag bearers by their fellow Olympic team members 🙌 pic.twitter.com/mOmRhTWBto
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 24, 2024
“I never thought in a million years I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the opening ceremony,” Gauff, who will be the youngest flag bearer in the Olympics, said in a statement.
Gauff and James earned their selections through a vote of their fellow U.S. athletes, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said.
“To be nominated by your teammates for this honor speaks volumes about the way in which Coco approaches her sport and her role as a member of Team USA,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said.
The Today Show was the first to report Gauff’s role, sharing an exclusive video of the moment she was told and speaking with her live on Wednesday, July 24.
Opening Ceremony Flag Bearer @CocoGauff. 🇺🇸
The moment Coco got the news from her teammate @chris_eubanks96… 🫢#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/yjIWPjm6J1
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 24, 2024
“I was completely shocked,” Gauff said. “It never would have crossed my mind. I have no words, honestly.”
“It made me cry. I didn’t want to cry in front of my teammates, but when I called my mom, I started crying. I think it’s even more special — even now I get emotional thinking about it — that so many incredible people just think that I’m worthy of this. It means a lot, truly.”
Gauff added that she’s excited to meet James, a star she’s chatted with on social media but never in person.
“He DM’ed me once on Instagram with words of encouragement and congratulations, but I’ve never actually met him,” she said.
“I’ve seen him in person at a bunch of Miami Heat games when I was a kid, and some recent games. But I’ve never actually met him. So this is a cool circumstance to be meeting him, and I guess I’ll actually get to know him a little bit.”
The tennis world No. 2, Gauff exploded onto the international stage five years ago when she beat her idol, Venus Williams, in a dream run to the Wimbledon fourth round when she was just 15.
She clinched her first major title at the US Open last year.
Gauff is expected to compete in both the singles and doubles on the clay courts at Roland Garros. The Olympic tennis competition begins on Saturday.
