Coco Gauff gets special honor for the United States at the Olympics

Coco Gauff will be the highest-seeded player of any American at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She will be seeded second in women's singles and she and Jessica Pegula will be seeded first in women's doubles. She is also the only player participating in singles for the American squad who has won a Grand Slam event.

She also is going to have a special place in the opening ceremony because she was chosen to carry the American flag along with NBA player LeBron James. In doing so, Gauff becomes the first US tennis player to carry the flag at the Olympics. To make the honor even better, Gauff and James weren't picked at random. Instead, their fellow US athletes voted for them to be flag-bearers.

The rest of the American tennis team at the Paris Olympics will consist of Pegula, Emma Navarro, Danielle Collins, Desirae Krawczyk (doubles only), Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Chris Eubanks, Marcos Giron, Rajeev Ram (doubles only), and Austin Krajicek (doubles only).

Coco Gauff chosen to be a flag-bearer for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The doubles teams will consist of Gauff and Pegula, Collins and Krawczyk, Fritz and Paul, and Ram and Krajicek. Besides top-seeded Gauff and Pegula, Collins and Krawczyk are seeded fourth on the women's side. Fritz and Paul are seeded fourth on the men's side, while Ram and Krajicek are seeded fifth.

40-year-old Ram has the most Olympic experience of any American player. This will be his third Olympic games with his best showing coming at the Rio Games in 2016 when he won silver in mixed doubles with Serena Williams. Ram has also won four major titles, including the last three US Open titles.

Gauff won her only major so far - she is only 20 years old - at the US Open as well. Her popularity soared after doing so, not just among tennis fans but with the American public in general. Her greatest challenge at the Games will likely be top-seeded Iga Swiatek who dominates on clay, especially at the French Open.

The Olympics will be held at the same venue where the French Open is held. That would appear to give Swiatek a huge advantage.

Gauff said upon learning she would be a flag-bearer for the United States, "I never thought in a million years I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the opening ceremony. I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is."

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