"Coco Gauff carrying the flag and me this week"- Taylor Fritz banters with compatriot ahead of their Paris Olympics 2024 mixed doubles campaign
Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz shared some lighthearted banter as the pair gears up to compete in the mixed doubles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Fritz joked that Gauff would carry the Team USA flag but would also have to do the heavy lifting of their mixed doubles team. However, Gauff retorted by hilariously handing the responsibility to Fritz.
The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris was held on Friday, July 26. Over 600 athletes of Team USA arrived on a cruise on the Seine River. 20-year-old Gauff, who became the youngest flag bearer for Team USA, was joined by NBA star LeBron James for flag-bearing duties.
All the athletes soaked in the atmosphere as they clicked numerous pictures to capture once-in-a-lifetime memories. USA's top-ranked tennis stars Gauff and Fritz also got a picture clicked. The 26-year-old uploaded the image on his Instagram Story and joked:
"Coco Gauff carrying the flag and me this week."
The 2023 US Open winner reposted the story and hilariously reversed the mixed doubles responsibility on Taylor Fritz. She wrote:
"Thanks but it will be the other way [laughing emoji]"
World No. 2 Gauff is joined by women’s doubles partner Jessica Pegula in Team USA's women's tennis contingent along with Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro, and Desirae Krawczyk.
In Team USA's men's tennis team, America's No. 1 Taylor Fritz is joined by Marcos Giron, Chris Eubanks, Tommy Paul, and the doubles pair of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz are seeded second at the Paris Olympics 2024
Out of 16 mixed doubles pairings at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the American pair of Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz are seeded second. Germany's Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund are seeded first, while Aussies Matthew Ebden and Ellen Perez are third, and Greece's Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas are fourth.
During her pre-Olympics press conference, Gauff revealed that she had a 'mini' practice with Fritz and the positives include service and returns.
“Taylor and I did a mini practice. I think what he likes about both of our games is we both have good serves in our respective fields,” Coco Gauff said.
“I’ve played doubles a little bit more than him, so I maybe can do a little bit more, but I’m a singles player. So I think the biggest thing we wanted to focus on was serving and returns and I think we do that both quite well,” she added.
Gauff and Fritz were initially drawn against Kazkahstan's Elena Rybakina and Alexander Bublik. However, since Rybakina withdrew from the event due to illness, the American pair will open their campaign against Argentina's Nadia Podoroska and Maximo Gonzalez.