Coco Gauff is making a historic debut at the Paris Olympics.
The 20-year-old secured the record of becoming the youngest American woman to win a singles match at the Olympic Games after beating Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in their first-round match with a score of 6-3, 6-0. The match lasted about 57 minutes.
“I’m not going to lie: I was more nervous in doubles than singles. I don’t know why. I think it’s just because it was the first match,” the No. 2-ranked Gauff said. “And I think when you start off a tournament with a win, especially one like this, it just gives you more confidence.”
Venus Williams, also at 20, previously held the record after winning a singles match at the 2000 Olympics. Williams went on to win gold twice, including a doubles match with her younger sister, Serena Williams.
“For me, this is almost bigger than singles,” Venus said. “To have a victory like this with Serena, my sister and best friend, doesn’t happen very often.”
20-year-old Coco Gauff is the youngest American woman to win a singles match at the #Olympics since Venus Williams in 2000 🇺🇸
Venus went on to win gold 🥇 pic.twitter.com/SWO44pvF5m
— ESPN (@espn) July 28, 2024
Gauff is 2-0 so far at the Paris Olympics after adding a 6-3, 6-0 singles victory over Tomljanovic on Sunday to a win the previous day in a doubles match with Jessica Pegula. Pegula and Gauff, who joined LeBron James as the youngest American flag bearer at the opening ceremony Friday night, defeated Australia’s Daria Saville and Ellen Perez 6-3, 6-1.
Gauff’s Olympic debut has been long-awaited, as she had to withdraw days before the Tokyo Games kicked off due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
While Gauff remained composed on the court, the 2023 U.S. Open Champion shared her excitement about her first Olympic Games in the months and weeks leading up to them.
“One of the goals I wrote down on my vision note in my phone was to win a medal in the Olympics,” Gauff said. “I’ll be completely honest; I don’t really care what event it is in. I feel like gold, silver, or bronze, whatever medal it is, is one of those things; it doesn’t matter.
“Well, it does matter. Obviously, I want to win in singles. I feel like I would appreciate it just as much, whether it was in singles or doubles. It’s not the same to me as a Slam.”
Next up for the reigning champion at the US Open in singles and the French Open in doubles is a second-round singles match on Monday against Maria Lourdes Carle of Argentina.