Sad day as top American player ruled out of Olympics as heartbreaking reason emerges

Sad day as top American player ruled out of Olympics as heartbreaking reason emerges

Babajide Orevba, Ibitoye Shittu
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:50 PM
  • Youngster Coco Gauff has been dealt with a huge blow after testing positive for Covid-19 just before the Tokyo Olympics
  • Gauff was set to be the youngest Olympic tennis player at the Games but will no longer be competing in the event
  • Coco Gauff took to social media to share the heartbreaking news and said she hopes she will get more opportunities in the future

Tennis player Coco Gauff of the United States will not be competing in the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19. It was a dream for her to compete but it has been delayed because of the circumstances.

Gauff was scheduled to become the youngest Olympic tennis player since 2000 but she has now joined a list of great players from around the world who have already withdrawn from the Tokyo Games. She expressed her sadness about the matter on social media.

"I'm disappointed to share the news that I have tested positive for Covid and won't be able to play in the Olympic Games in Tokyo,"
Coco Gauff, Tokyo Olympics, tennis, Covid-19
Coco Gauff is not going to play in the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19. Image: @cocogauff
Source: UGC

"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," she concluded

The Tokyo Games, which were postponed by a year owing to the Covid-19 outbreak, will begin on Friday.

Gauff's announcement came two days after Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur tested positive for Covid-19 before leaving for the Tokyo Olympics. Gauff last participated at Wimbledon where she lost in the final 16, according to SowetanLIVE.

Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka and Nick Kyrgios are among the athletes who have already announced their absence from the Games.

South African tennis player Kevin Anderson wins his 7th career title

In other tennis news, it was reported that Kevin Anderson won the Hall of Fame Open for the seventh time on Sunday, defeating 20-year-old American Jenson Brooksby 7-6, 6-4.

The 35-year-old South African won his first major championship on grass in Newport, Rhode Island and his first on any surface since the Pune event in India in 2019.

With the win, world number 113 Anderson, who was a wild card entrant after losing in the second round at Wimbledon to eventual winner Novak Djokovic, is expected to rise to 74th in the rankings.

Authors
Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
Ibitoye Shittu photo
Ibitoye Shittu
Editor- Local Desk
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