Tennis
Tennis: 17-year-old Coco Gauff pulls out of the Tokyo Olympics
Adding further blow to the US tennis team, teen sensation Coco Gauff has to sit out the Tokyo Olympics after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Coco Gauff has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics (Source:AP)
The tennis camp at the Tokyo Olympics keeps losing its normative glitz and glamour with top-billing names giving the quadrennial sporting extravaganza a miss. Led by Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem and the Williams' sisters decision to sit out the Games, American teen sensation, the 17-year-old Coco Gauff is the latest to join the Absentees list at the Tokyo Olympics.
Contracting COVID-19 at the most unfavorable hour, Coco Gauff had no option but to withdraw from the Olympics she planned to debut in. As it is, the schedule on the tennis tour has become all topsy-turvy with back-to-back tournaments lined up. In fact, the closely-spaced clay court and grass court Slams of French Open and Wimbledon, which was strewn with a lot of ATP and WTA events in between has proven to be quite demanding of a player.
World No. 25 Coco Gauff, who made it till the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships before losing to former World No. 1 And 3-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, won't be heading to Tokyo. For Gauff, the green courts of the All England Club are hallowed as it was here that the young Coco had burst onto the scene in 2019, once again making it till the pre-quarters. In fact, Kerber has also withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics after citing reasons of being fatigued.
However, Coco's plans of debuting at the Olympics will have to take a backseat after she got diagnosed with COVID-19.
"We were saddened to learn that Coco Gauff has tested positive for COVID-19 and will therefore be unable to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games," the U.S. Tennis Association said in a statement.
"We wish her the best as she deals with this unfortunate situation and hopes to see her back on the courts very soon. We know Coco will join all of us in rooting on the other Team USA members who will be traveling to Japan and competing in the coming days."
With Coco Gauff not there in the US tennis camp, the star power will also slightly dim as the Williams' sisters - Serena and Venus are already not going to Tokyo, as well.
