"Olympics is a top priority, equal to the Grand Slams" - Coco Gauff shooting for medal in debut Olympics participation at Paris 2024
Coco Gauff has opened up about her feelings on participating at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The reigning US Open champion has never featured in the Olympics before.
Gauff, who is currently in Rome for the Italian Open, was asked about her opinion on the Olympics during a press conference and where it stands with respect to the Grand Slams.
In her response, Gauff said that for her, the Olympics is as important as the Grand Slams. She also hinted at an "interesting" preparation for the event as it will require her to transition quickly from grass to clay. The 2024 Wimbledon Championships is set to conclude on Sunday, July 14, and the Paris Olympics is slated to start on Friday, July 26.
"For me, the Olympics is a top priority. I would say equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn't put it above or below just because I've never played before. This is my first time. Obviously, I always want to do well, try to get a medal. Yeah, I mean, but the prep is going to be interesting because I've never done the grass-to-clay transition before," Gauff told the press.
However, the WTA World No. 3 concluded by saying that she will try to enjoy her outing at the Olympics and not put too much pressure on herself.
"I'm not putting too much pressure on it because I really want to fully indulge in the experience. Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime. I'll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Gauff added.
"It was out of my control" - Coco Gauff on missing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Gauff was also quizzed about how she felt about missing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed and ultimately held from July 23 to August 8, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Gauff herself had been selected to represent the United States, she had to withdraw after she was diagnosed with the viral disease.
The 20-year-old said that it was difficult for her to accept her absence for a couple of days. Gauff also said that the other tennis players who had made it to the event comforted her by saying that it was not as special as other editions due to the COVID-19 situation.
"It was (difficult) for the first day or so because it was out of my control. The players made me feel better because they said with the COVID it wasn't the same. I did feel better. I don't know if they were trying to make me feel better about missing it or they were being truthful," Gauff said.
Gauff is set to start her Italian Open campaign on Friday, May 10, in the second round of the prestigious WTA 1000 event after receiving a first-round bye.