When Coco Gauff dethroned Aryna Sabalenka to claim the World No. 2 spot earlier this year, she wasn’t too concerned about rankings. The young American wanted to keep going and play in the Olympics in Paris. Now it’s July, and not only is Gauff playing, but she’s also received the honor of being USA’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony – courtesy of being voted on by 600 American athletes.

Gauff has come a long way from where she was just last year, and Serena Williams’ childhood coach discussed this in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports. As the 2023 season kicked off, the tennis world saw a new and improved Coco Gauff, one who was a lot more confident about her abilities on the court. It started with a run to the fourth round in the first major of the year in Melbourne, followed by more impressive performances leading up to the French Open. As she reached the quarters, Gauff hoped to continue her good run in Grand Slams at Wimbledon, but that wasn’t meant to be.

Facing compatriot Sofia Kenin in the first round, the 20-year-old lost in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 2-6. Gauff was understandably distressed for weeks after that unexpected early defeat, which Rick Macci highlighted in his conversation with EssentiallySports. Referring to her being the Team USA flagbearer alongside NBA legend LeBron James, Macci said, “What a great opportunity for Coco, not only to play in the Olympics and be the No. 2 seed but to represent your country at such a young age. If you think about it, a little over a year ago, she lost the first round at Wimbledon.”

Gauff and Wimbledon have history, both good and bad. It was the Slam that helped her burst onto the scene after she faced Venus Williams in 2019, ousting the seven-time Grand Slam champion in the first round. However, she’s never managed to get past the fourth round at SW19 – the only major where she hasn’t achieved that feat. As Gauff tries to break that jinx, it’s undeniable that even though her progress has taken some time, the fact that she’s already the World No. 2 at 20 and the first and youngest tennis player to be a flag bearer at the Games is remarkable.

Following that, Macci also laid out how Gauff’s trajectory has looked like since that Wimbledon loss and the mantra behind her success: “She got on a tear in the summer, won those tournaments, won the US Open, flipped the script, her whole world has changed a year later. Not only does she have a Grand Slam and so many endorsements, [but] now she’s carrying the flag. So the message anybody hearing is, ‘It’s always not where you start. It’s where you finish.’ And it’s never over till you quit.”

After that run to the title in Flushing Meadows, Coco became the youngest US Open champion since Serena Williams, also becoming only the 11th teenager to win a Grand Slam title. And when she started her 2024 campaign, she created even more of an impact right from the Australian Open. Considering her service wasn’t where she wanted it to be, Gauff worked on making it more powerful and consistent in the off-season, and she reaped the fruits in Melbourne. She made it to the semifinals, losing to Aryna Sabalenka. However, she’s tried maintaining her consistency, hoping to emulate it at the Olympics.

Talking about the young star, Serena Williams’ childhood coach also had a hilarious pun: “Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. Here we are a year later, and Coco is definitely the flavor of the month.”

When Gauff’s tennis teammate and good friend Christopher Eubanks announced the news about her being voted the flagbearer in front of the whole team, she barely held back tears. The WTA superstar took to social media to share her amazement after carrying the American flag alongside LeBron James (whom she was starstruck to be standing next to) at the momentous ceremony: “No words truly,” she wrote.

Interestingly, her parents knew before Coco Gauff herself! It’s a remarkable feat, given she’s 20 years old and in her first Olympics. Despite Rick Macci’s winning student Serena Williams appearing in four Games and given the major impact she had in the sports arena, she never received this honor. But the retired WTA professional was beyond proud of Gauff!

Rick Macci’s former student Serena Williams “loves” Coco Gauff’s Olympics role 

Coco Gauff is carrying Serena Williams’ legendary legacy into her Olympic debut in Paris by entering as a flag bearer. When the 23-time Grand Slam champion was asked about Gauff being one of the flag bearers, she shared her excitement: “It’s amazing. Isn’t that great? I’m so excited to see her tonight. I’m just so happy for her. Oh god, I love it.” Gauff aims to emulate the four-time Olympic gold medalist by starting as the second seed at the Paris Games.

That said, while Serena Williams never got to be Team USA’s flagbearer, she sure got an opportunity to do something as revered this year. After the contingent parade on the River Seine, Rafael Nadal was handed the Olympic torch by legendary French footballer Zinedine Zidane. The Spaniard then got into a boat, where Williams joined him to carry the torch closer to the cauldron. As the tennis icons traveled across the river, they were met by Amelie Mauresmo, who kicked off the torch relay to officially commence the 2024 Olympics.

Coming back to Coco Gauff. There’s little doubt that Serena Williams’ legacy inspires the 20-year-old to do her best and, maybe one day, even surpass the legend!