The Olympics is just around the corner, and with it brings a brand-new tennis tournament for fans to enjoy.
Coming around once every four years, there is an allure to the mystique it provides, and a coveted element to the trophies it offers.
After all, not everyone can complete their careers with Olympic gold in the way that Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal did.
And whilst Novak Djokovic will have aspirations of achieving this feat, among others, there is a strong US contingent seeking to upset that goal.
USA fans react to Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz’s Olympics doubles team
However, that American effort is not limited just to the singles, as there are men’s, women’s and mixed doubles to compete for as well.
Fortunately, this huge country boasts a plethora of talent and versatility, and some of its stars are dipping into a few different facets of tennis. Here’s the full roster for team USA at the Olympics.
Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz are two such examples, who, it was recently revealed, will be combing for the mixed doubles.
A star-studded combination, USA fans have had a bit of a mixed reaction to the news…
However, not all fans were not happy with this pairing, with some questioning why another, more experienced man was not chosen to join Gauff.
Would Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz work as a doubles team?
Whilst the two have never played doubles together, one of them does boast remarkable experience playing this format, with Gauff actually being a Grand Slam champion.
Winning this year’s Roland Garros, she has also made the finals of the US Open, the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.
Not only that, but she boasts nine doubles titles, and was once the top-ranked doubles player in the world.
Meanwhile, Fritz has never surpassed 104th in the world, but has played it a fair bit with varied success.
However, these two will undoubtedly steal the headlines given they are both big-name singles players, meanwhile the men’s doubles partnership of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, both of whom are specialist doubles players, will go under the radar.
Ironically, they are far more likely to win gold, with the former a six-time Grand Slam champion and sixth in the world, whilst Krajicek is 16th.
Comparatively to their genders, Gauff and Fritz both have monster serves which underpin the foundation of their play styles.
To combine them both could prove profitable in a doubles format, although Fritz’s quick-thinking at the net could let them down.
Perhaps their best chance might have been plucking one of these doubles specialists to play with Gauff in the mixed, rather than the inexperienced 26-year-old.
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