Perhaps it was her grueling schedule that got to her, but 20-year-old tennis superstar Coco Gauff lost today at the Paris Olympics in singles competition, losing to Croatian Donna Vekić, who is ranked #13 in the world.
After her win yesterday, Gauff discussed the heat in Paris.
“I came from Florida, where it is hotter, but obviously, I mean, it is hot out there,” she said. “You feel it, but I feel like I know how to survive in that type of weather, maybe better than some other players. I did use the ice towel, which I rarely do in matches, but it was more of a preventative thing because I’m in three events. Even today. I usually wouldn’t take an ice bath after a match like this, but I’m just trying my best to be preventative before maybe I feel fatigue and everything. Obviously, my last two matches have went quick, so I’m just trying to think for the future towards the end of the tournament.”
Though she lost in singles competition, Gauff plays later today in mixed doubles, teaming with top American male player Taylor Fritz. The duo will play Nadia Podoroska and Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina. Gauff is also playing women’s doubles, where she is playing with Jessica Pegula and will play Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova of Czechia tomorrow morning.
Pegula, who lost yesterday in women’s singles, discussed playing with Gauff.
“I definitely still obviously want to do well in doubles with Coco,” she proclaimed. “That’s our goal, to at least to keep going to get to some medal rounds. That’s been our goal, I think, since we knew we were going to play.”
Although Gauff will not accomplish her goal of winning singles gold at the Paris Olympics, she still has two chances to win in women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
