Coco Gauff is America’s shining hope for tennis success at the Olympics this summer, across the singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
As one of very few to be competing in all three disciplines, she is set to be very busy, but with youth on her side, the 20-year-old has a really strong chance of succeeding across the board.
The US youngster took her first step towards that goal just yesterday, when she beat Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round.
Having now cruised into the third round after a routine victory over María Lourdes Carlé, it was that former triumph which is really of note.
After all, it has actually made history, being the first to do something at the Olympic Games since Venus Williams.
Coco Gauff makes American history at the Olympics
Although the history broken was not explicitly linked to how she won her match against Tomljanovic, it still denotes a remarkable feat.
Instead, it relates to her age, as she has just become the youngest person since the aforementioned Williams sister to win a singles match at the Olympics.
It certainly bodes well, given Venus would go on to win the Gold medal for her country that year in 2000.
Now, 24 years later, Coco Gauff will have grand aspirations of following in her footsteps, one step at a time.
Naturally, the Iga Swiatek-shaped hurdle will prove tough to overcome, but anything is possible when you are so young and brimming with talent and confidence.
Also, Gauff has given her opinion on her mixed doubles partnership with Taylor Fritz, revealing what the two, an unlikely pairing, have been working on.
It’s Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek for the Gold medal
Realistically, with both of these women on either side of the draw, and both having impressed the most on clay this year, Gauff and Swiatek will likely meet in the final of the singles.
Given the former was the number three seed at Roland Garros, their clash came a round too early, but it was a foregone conclusion anyway.
The world number one was unstoppable throughout that tournament, and has started the Olympics in similarly scintillating form.
Fortunately, the top-ranked American is also thriving, but she will have to elevate her game to new heights to overcome Swiatek.
She is the contemporary queen of clay, but Naomi Osaka proved at the French Open that she can be troubled.
Hitting big and taking calculated risks that all pay off are the foundation of overcoming this unstoppable object on this surface.
Gauff has it in her to do that. She will just have to have learn from her mistakes in Paris earlier in the year.
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