Tennis star Coco Gauff will carry the U.S. flag at the Olympic opening ceremony : NPR

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PARIS — Tennis star Coco Gauff will be the female flag bearer for the United States at this week’s Olympic opening ceremony in Paris, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced Wednesday.

In Friday’s opening events, in which hundreds of U.S. athletes will appear on a boat as part of a procession down the River Seine through the heart of Paris, the 20-year-old Gauff will join basketball great LeBron James in carrying the American flag. Both Gauff and James were chosen by a vote of their fellow competitors on Team USA.

Gauff will be the youngest ever U.S. flag bearer at an Olympic opening ceremony. (The gymnast Simone Biles carried the U.S. flag at the 2016 closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro when she was 19 years old.) Gauff will also be the first tennis player to hold the honor.

“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 said. “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 – at a moment where we can bring athletes and fans together from around the world.”

Gauff is currently ranked by the Women’s Tennis Association as the world’s second-ranked female player. She won the U.S. Open in 2023, her first Grand Slam title.

This year marks Gauff’s first Olympic appearance after she was forced to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when she tested positive for COVID-19.

In this summer’s Olympics, tennis will be held at Roland-Garros, the same legendary venue that hosts the French Open each year. Last month, Gauff reached the semifinal of that tournament, where she lost to No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek, the Polish player who is the top seed — and gold medal favorite — in the Olympic singles event.