In a day of contrasting fortunes for tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympics, US Open champion Coco Gauff was named as a flag bearer for Team USA, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner was forced to withdraw due to illness.Gauff, 20, will make history as the first tennis player to carry the US flag at an Olympic opening ceremony. She will share the honor with basketball superstar LeBron James at the July 26 event, which will uniquely take place along the River Seine. Gauff, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, is seeded second in singles and first in women’s doubles for the Olympic tournament. This marks a triumphant return to the Olympic stage for Gauff, who had to withdraw from the Tokyo 2020 Games due to a positive COVID-19 test.Meanwhile, Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner announced his withdrawal from the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis. Sinner, who recently ascended to the world No. 1 ranking after winning the 2024 Australian Open, was considered one of Italy’s main medal hopes. The 22-year-old expressed his deep disappointment, stating, ‘Missing the Games is a great disappointment, as it was one of my main goals for this season’.Sinner’s withdrawal adds to a growing list of high-profile absences from the Olympic tennis tournament, including Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz due to injury, while Australia’s Alex de Minaur’s participation remains uncertain.The Olympic tennis competition is set to begin on July 27 at Roland Garros, the traditional home of the French Open. Despite Sinner’s absence, the tournament promises to be a highlight of the Paris Games, with Gauff among the favorites to claim a medal for Team USA.
Key points
- Coco Gauff, 20, becomes the first tennis player to be named a US flag bearer for the Olympic opening ceremony.
- World No.
- The Olympic tennis tournament begins on July 27 at Roland Garros, with several high-profile players missing.
1 Jannik Sinner withdraws from the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis, a major blow to Italy’s medal hopes.
