Cori “Coco” Gauff will miss the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19.
“It has always been a dream of mine to represent the USA at the Olympics, and I hope there will be many more chances for me to make this come true in the future,” Coco tweeted. “I want to wish TEAM USA best of luck and a safe games for every Olympian and the entire Olympic family.”
Coco, 17, is currently the 25th ranked woman in the world.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) tweeted a response to Cori’s announcement.
“We were saddened to learn that Coco Gauff has tested positive for COVID-19 and will therefore be unable to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” USTA’s statement read. “The entire USA Tennis Olympic contingent is heartbroken for Coco. We wish her the best as she deals with this unfortunate situation and hope to see her back on the courts very soon.”
Slated to begin this Friday, there have been some concerns about whether or not the Olympics would go ahead due to the rising coronavirus cases in the country.
Last week, two players on the South African soccer team, Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi tested positive for COVID-19 inside the Olympic Village. The players had tested negative for the virus before traveling to Japan. South African video analyst Mario Masha also tested positive for the virus.
More than 11,000 athletes and approximately 79,000 journalists, officials and staff are expected to gather in Japan during the ongoing pandemic. Tokyo is currently fighting off the fifth wave of infections.
Earlier this month, Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced a state of emergency due to the rising number of coronavirus infections in the capital. Suga said the state of emergency would go in effect on Monday and last through Aug. 22 — meaning the Olympics will be held completely under emergency standards.
