Tommy Paul enjoyed a fine run at the Olympics, winning bronze in the men’s doubles whilst reaching the quarter-final of the singles competition too.
Such form in Paris only typifies his remarkable year, filled with new experiences and remarkable moments for his career.
However, one particular high point for the American actually came away from the court, and he had his young compatriot to thank for engineering it…
Tommy Paul left grateful for Coco Gauff at the Olympics
Chatting to the Tennis Channel immediately after his first-round triumph at the Canadian Open, Tommy Paul was quizzed on everything that has been going on in his professional life in recent months.
Naturally, the Olympics stands out as Paul’s finest achievement thus far, but that perhaps does not do justice to his fine run at Wimbledon or his title triumph at Queen’s.
The 27-year-old has developed into a serious threat on all surfaces of late, and will hope to translate his hard-court prowess in the coming weeks too.
However, first reflecting on that experience in Paris, he actually took time to thank Coco Gauff for what she did that allowed him to enjoy some ‘amazing’ experiences.
Paul noted: ‘Yeah I mean definitely doing the walk on the boat was amazing. It was the US tennis and the US men’s and women’s basketball.
‘We were kind of riding the Coco [Gauff] wave there and got to hang out with them which was so cool, to be on that boat. I didn’t get to walk in Tokyo and I really wanted to do it in Paris.
‘It’s an amazing experience, super special.’
Tommy Paul has developed into an all-around tennis threat
After the tumultuous start to his career that he endured, Paul has done remarkably well to grow into the player he is today.
In fact, there are arguably few players outside the top three that are as well-rounded as he is, with 2024 the year where he has truly showcased his all-court excellence with strong performances across the board.
Starting the year with a third-round exit in Melbourne, there was disappointment that he could not enjoy a deeper run, but following that up with his first title of the season in Dallas assuaged fears.
Since then, he has only grown in stature, reaching the final in his very next tournament, losing to Taylor Fritz at the Delray Beach Open, and then the semi-finals of Indian Wells and in Rome.
Following up this fine hard and clay-court form with a return to grass, he would shock many by going all the way at Queen’s to win the title before reaching the quarter-finals of Wimbledon too.
Now returning to the hard courts across Canada and later his home country, Paul has a remarkable opportunity to solidify his spot in the race to Turin and perhaps even break into the ATP top ten too.
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