USA Tennis Star Coco Gauff Withdraws From Tokyo After Positive COVID-19 Test

by Ben Dornan 9

July 19th, 2021 News, Tokyo 2020

American tennis player Coco Gauff has tested positive for COVID-19 and has officially announced that she won’t be competing at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Gauff is fresh off a quarter-final finish at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, having defeated Russia’s Elena Vesnina and Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan. Gauff was defeated by Angelique Kerber of Germany during the quarter-finals. At just 17 years of age, Gauff was set to become the youngest American Olympic tennis player since Jennifer Capriati competed at the 2000 Games at age 16.

Gauff’s announcement that she won’t be competing comes just days after it was reported that 14th ranked Belarussian tennis player Victoria Azarenka and 22nd ranked Angelique Kerber of Germany would both be withdrawing as well.

By withdrawing from the Games due to COVID-19, Gauff, Azarenka, and Kerber join the already significant list of missing all-stars from the women’s field including Simona Halep, Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu, and Serena Williams.

Team USA has also reported that one of the alternates for its Tokyo 2020 women’s gymnastics squad has tested positive for COVID-19 in Tokyo. It hasn’t been announced which of the 4 alternates; Leanne Wong, Kayla DiCello, Emma Malabuyo, or Kara Eaker, received the positive test. ESPN did, however, report that none of the 6 qualifiers for the Games including 2016 Olympic champion Simone Biles were affected.

Another 2 members of Team USA who may be next among the team’s withdrawals from the Olympics are men’s basketball players Jerami Grant and Bradley Beal. According to NBC Olympics, while neither of them has tested positive for COVID-19, they have both been placed under health and safety protocols. Unrelated to COVID-19, teammate Kevin Love decided to not make the trip to Tokyo due to an ongoing calf injury.

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Michele Georger
2 years ago

Was Coco Gauff fully vaccinated??

Bobo Gigi
Reply to  Michele Georger
2 years ago

It doesn’t prevent you from being positive.

Corn Pop
2 years ago

The US gym team took 4 alternates to Tokyo in case of covid .One of them has tested positive but not the one that was an unvaccinated 17 year old with Evolutionary Biologisr parents who refused permission.

So far the main team is clear & moved to the Village but pics show them training yesterday at very close quarters .Interesting .

Corn Pop
Reply to  Corn Pop
2 years ago

Correction . The US team is staying in a hotel not the village .Bet Simone likes that memory. …..tap tap tap on the door .

Captain Ahab
2 years ago

She should take another covid test to make sure

Facts
2 years ago

Zach Lavine just got Covid too

Hswimmer
2 years ago

So sad. I really hate this for all of the people testing positive, years of hard work and a dumbass virus taking over it..

Bobo Gigi
2 years ago

In the past at each olympic games we used to comment the medal table after each day of competition.
This time we’ll comment the daily report of positive tests and who is forced to withdraw.

monteswim
2 years ago

These Olympics are going to be farcical.