Tennis star, Olympian and U.S. Team Flag Carrier Coco Gauff defeated Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carl on Monday morning. At 20 years old, Gauff is the youngest Olympian to win a singles match since Venus Williams in 2000. Gauff and Lourdes have played each other twice in junior matches, but this was their first professional match. Gauff dominated the match, winning 6-1, 6-1 in an hour and 25-minute match to advance to the Round of 16.
Gauff also competed in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The world No. 2 came to Paris with high expectations and has lived up to them every step of the way. Snoop Dogg supported her throughout the match by wearing a shirt with Gauff’s name and photo on it.
Snoop Dogg in a Coco Gaff shirt pic.twitter.com/BdB7EsvVRy
— May (@mayvedev) July 29, 2024
An unlikely source of confidence for Gauff was Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles, who told ESPN that a dining room conversation with her Sunday morning gave her the boost she needed to make history.
“We were just talking about how when these moments come, you’ve already prepared yourself and you just have to be yourself,” Lyles told ESPN. “Honestly, it just flipped a switch. I think he woke me up,” Gauff said. “Honestly, he’s the most confident guy I’ve ever met, outside of Serena[Williams]so I think they’re two of the most confident people, full of confidence.”
That’s what Gauff has shown so far in the Olympics. If her conversations with Lyles lead to a straight-set win, she’ll be happy to keep them going. In the round of 16, Gauff will face Croatia’s 13th seed Donna Vekic for the first time, who will be a good test of Gauff’s resolve.
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