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Coco Gauff crashed out to eventual silver medallist Donna Vekic in the round of 16.
It simply wasn’t to be once, twice, and eventually three times as Coco Gauff crashed out of all three tennis events at the Paris Olympics.
Gauff made American Olympic history after becoming their flagbearer for the opening ceremony, but couldn’t quite back up such joy and wonder on the tennis court.
After Gauff controversially lost to Donna Vekic, the second seed was visibly distraught, with many having tipped her for a run to the final.
Having sped over to Toronto before defending her title in Cincinnati, Gauff reflected on her disappointing Olympic campaign, before looking to her home games in 2028.
Coco Gauff shares her Olympic plans for LA 2028
Having played in the mixed doubles with Taylor Fritz and the women’s doubles with Jessica Pegula, Gauff failed to progress in either event.
Despite the underwhelming run, Gauff revealed in her press conference ahead of the National Bank Open in Toronto, that she still had a fantastic time in the French capital.
“I would still do all three (events) again if that’s a possibility in ‘28. I mean it’s four years from now, I’ll be 24, so will still be on the healthier and younger side of things, and especially if the draw size for mixed is that small, I feel like that’s one everyone wants to play,” Gauff said.
“I had a great experience, from not being able to go to Tokyo to being able to go here, I just feel like LA, I’ll hopefully be on the podium. I just feel like that’s what my life consists of, having a disappointing result and then the next time is the best thing in the world.”
With a first round exit at last year’s Wimbledon, Gauff then bounced back remarkably to pick up her first grand slam title at the US Open.
She continued to discuss her plans for LA 2028: “So I’m just trying to learn from this experience. I would 100% choose to do it again even if I lost the first round and everything. It was something that was incredible being a flagbearer, it was something I wouldn’t have expected and meeting all the incredible people that I met, I don’t take it lightly. Every Olympics I qualify in, I’ll for sure play unless I’m injured.”
Can Coco Gauff defend her US Open title?
Last year’s final saw Gauff recover from a set down to Aryna Sabalenka to clinch her maiden major.
Her form going in, at least on the hard courts, had been strong, with a title in Cincinnati and a defeat to eventual winner Pegula in the last eight of the Montreal Open.
Gauff looked unflappable in her opening rounds in Paris and after a run to the semi-finals of the French Open in June, looked in pole position for a medal.
The defending US Open champion will certainly enter as one of the favorites this year in Flushing Meadows.
Providing she manages to quickly adjust to the surface, the American will be among the frontrunners to double her major tally.
