NEW YORK: US Open champion Coco Gauff will lead the US tennis team at the Paris Olympics three years after she missed the Tokyo Games because of a bout of Covid-19.

World number two Gauff will be joined by fifth-ranked Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins and Emma Navarro in women’s singles, the US Tennis Association announced on Thursday.

World No. 12 Taylor Fritz headlines the men’s singles squad that also includes Tommy Paul, Christopher Eubanks and Marcos Giron.

Olympic tennis starts on July 27 at Roland Garros, where Gauff fell to world number one and eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the French Open semi-finals this month.

Gauff, who was runner-up to Swiatek in the 2022 French Open, also reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open this year.

The 20-year-old will be a contender in women’s doubles as well, teaming with Pegula on the same Roland Garros courts where they claimed the French Open doubles crown — their fifth doubles title as a team.

Gauff had been slated for a Tokyo Games appearance at the age of 17, but tested positive for Covid days before the Olympics started to miss out on “a dream come true”.

Kathy Rinaldi will coach the women’s US Olympic team, which will also see Collins team with Desirae Krawczyk in doubles.

The men will be coached by 2012 Olympic doubles gold medallist Bob Bryan.

Fritz and Paul will team up in doubles, where the US will also be represented by Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.

The mixed doubles team will be taken from the qualified players and named at a later date.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2024