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Louise Thomas

Editor

Tennis star Coco Gauff has been selected to join LeBron James as a Team USA flag bearer at Friday’s opening ceremony at the Paris Olympic Games.

Gauff, the US Open champion who crashed out of Wimbledon earlier this month, will be the first tennis player – as well as the youngest American – to carry the US flag at an Olympic opening ceremony.

The 20-year-old athlete told NBC’s The Today Show she wept when she learned the news.

“I was completely shocked,” Gauff said. “It never would have crossed my mind. I have no words, honestly.”

“It made me cry. I didn’t want to cry in front of my teammates... but when I called my mom, I started crying.

“I think it’s even more special – even now I get emotional thinking about it – that so many incredible people just think that I’m worth of this. It means a lot, truly,” she added.

Flag bearers are selected by vote from fellow Team USA athletes, with Gauff nominated by tennis star and close friend Chris Eubanks.

“I’m incredibly proud of Coco – I know how great she is as a tennis player, but more importantly, how great she is as a person,” Eubanks said in a statement.

Gauff’s appearance at the Paris Olympics will mark her debut as part of Team USA. She had been set to make her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021 as a teenager, but was forced to pull out after contracting Covid-19 just five days before flying to Japan.

Now, she is now aiming to uphold the legacy of her “friend and mentor” Serena Williams, who has won a staggering four Olympic gold medals.

James was announced as the other flag bearer for Team USA on Monday, after he was selected by first-time Olympian Stephen Curry.

“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” James said in a statement shared by USA Basketball.

“Sports have the power to bring us all together, and I’m proud to be a part of this important moment.”

The 39-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star will be the third basketball player picked to undertake flag bearing duties.

Each nation will take part in the opening ceremony in alphabetical order. Two designated flag bearers – one male, one female – will lead the parade for their team down the River Seine.

Between 6,000 and 7.000 athletes are expected to attend the ceremony while up to half a million people are set to watch from the banks of the river.

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