PARIS — Coco Gauff’s bags were packed for Tokyo three years ago when the then-17-year-old American tennis star spit into the COVID-19 test that Olympic officials required every athlete to take before boarding their flight.
To her horror, the test came back positive.
When Gauff revealed the heartbreaking news, U.S. Olympic tennis coach Kathy Rinaldi told her to take another test to double check. That one came back positive too, meaning that Gauff had to pull out of the Olympics and delay a childhood dream.
“It was very disappointing,” Gauff recalled Thursday. “I felt very sad, but it was out of my hands. I knew I wouldn’t be the only athlete missing it unfortunately because of that.”
Three years later, Gauff, 20, is making up for lost time. Not only has she arrived in Paris as a threat to win gold in the women’s singles competition, she’ll also join LeBron James as the flag bearers for the U.S. Olympic team during Friday’s first-of-their-kind Opening Ceremony on the iconic Seine River.
Earlier this week, when she and doubles partner Jessica Pegula were debating who to nominate for the honor of carrying the U.S. flag, Gauff found herself stumped. Pegula laughed when she described Gauff telling her, “Who are we supposed to pick? It’s definitely not going to be any of us.”
When fellow American tennis player Chris Eubanks told Gauff that he planned to nominate her, Gauff scoffed at the idea that she was worthy. “There had never been a tennis player chosen before,” she said, “and I didn’t think I would be that player.”
Eubanks, a close friend of Gauff for years, didn’t feel the same. He campaigned for the world’s No. 2 ranked female player and reigning U.S. Open champ based on more than her impressive tennis credentials.
“I think it’s not only what she brings to the game but the world at large,” Eubanks said. “We’ve seen her be very outspoken about the causes she finds important.”
Gauff had already forgotten about flag bearer nominations on Tuesday when Eubanks out of nowhere launched into an impromptu speech about her in front of the other members of the U.S. tennis team. Embarrassed and confused, Gauff joked that she was “already planning on cussing him out” for showering her with compliments in front of everyone.
Annoyance gave way to shock when Eubanks handed Gaff a cream-colored jacket to wear during the Opening Ceremony and revealed that she had been chosen as flag bearer. Gauff choked back tears as her teammates clapped and cheered for her while she tried on her jacket. Then she retreated to a quiet corner of the room to call her mom and the tears and emotions all spilled out.
“I know it’s a memory I will remember for the rest of my life,” Gauff said.
That she’ll be carrying the American flag alongside James only makes the moment sweeter. Gauff, who grew up in Florida, has rooted for James since he starred for the Miami Heat when she was in elementary school.
Already, Gauff’s tennis teammates are angling to stand alongside James on the boat. They also want Gauff to ask James for pins that athletes trade during the Olympics in an effort to collect as many variations as possible.
“I will try to ask him,” Gauff said. “But I don’t know. I’m kind of scared.”
While Gauff hasn’t yet met James, being chosen as the U.S.’s youngest-ever flag bearer has turned her into an Olympic village celebrity. Even Simone Biles approached Gauff to say she was excited for her.
“Honestly, walking around the village last night, so many people came up and congratulated me,” Gauff said. “Even some of the people who were on Team USA who I guess voted for me who I didn’t know. They were like, ‘Yeah, I was one of the people who nominated you and we couldn’t ask for a better person.”
Gauff was not the only high-profile American athlete whose dreams of medaling in Tokyo fizzled as a result of a positive COVID test. Golfer Bryson DeChambeau was also a COVID casualty, as was basketball player Bradley Beal, former pole-vault world champion Sam Kendricks, beach volleyball standout Taylor Crabb and gymnast Kara Eaker.
The only other one of those six to join Gauff at these Olympics isn’t particularly enthusiastic about it. Still adamant that his test in Tokyo was a false positive because he did not have any symptoms, Kendricks insisted last month at the U.S. Track & Field Trials that he “might not even go” to Paris if he qualified.
“I don’t like the Olympics,” he said. “The Olympics screwed me. Everybody at Team USA left me behind.”
When asked if he was serious about declining an invitation, Kendricks said, “Heck yeah, why not?”
“I got kicked out the first time,” the Mississippi native added. “Why couldn’t they do it again if they didn’t like me? Maybe I’m just bitter.”
Kendricks’ attitude softened after he won the men’s pole vault national title at Olympic Trials with a meet-record 19-foot, 5-inch leap. He arrives in Paris as one of a handful of potential challengers to gold-medal favorite Mondo Duplantis, the pole vault world record holder and two-time reigning world champion.
There’s no lingering bitterness over Tokyo from Gauff, not before the flag bearer announcement and certainly not after it. For now, her only concern is figuring out what is expected of her during Friday night’s Opening Ceremony.
Will she and James both hold a flag? Will they both carry the same flag? Does she have any other responsibilities? She said she has pored over pictures and video from previous Opening Ceremonies looking for clues. Her big concern, she joked, is the “height difference,” given that she’s 5-foot-11 and James is 6-foot-9.
Compared to three years ago, these are good problems to have.
“Obviously I wanted to compete in Tokyo,” Gauff said, “but it makes this moment a lot sweeter.”
