After Positive COVID-19 Test, Coco Gauff Will Not Compete In the Olympics

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After testing positive for COVID-19, Cori "Coco" Gauff will not be competing in the Tokyo Olympics. The star tennis player revealed the news in a tweet on July 18.

"I am so 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,'' Gauff wrote. "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.''

Gauff was set to make history, again, at the 2020 games. The 17-year-old qualified for the Olympics in the singles competition in tennis, which would have made her the youngest athlete to represent the sport at the games since 2000, according to NBC Sports. Her appointment came after the top two women (in addition to Serena Williams) and top three men declined to attend this year's Olympics.

Gauff first made tennis history during her Wimbledon debut at age 15 in 2019—the youngest to play at the tournament in 28 years. The teenager, who many call a tennis prodigy, conquered the legendary Venus Williams, 6-4 6-4, in a staggering first-round match. Williams, now 41, had won the storied U.K. championship five times.

“This is the first time I ever cried after winning a match,” Gauff told the BBC at the time. “I never thought this would happen. I don’t know how to explain it. I’m literally living my dream. Not many people get to say that.”

What made the moment all the more sweet was her intense respect and admiration for her opponent.

“When we shook hands she told me congratulations and to keep going and good luck,” Gauff said. “I said ‘thank you for everything you’ve done.' I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.”

Despite her Olympic dream coming up short, we're sure we'll see the athletic phenom at the games in the future (perhaps in Paris 2024?). In the meantime, we've discovered a few fun facts to get to know more about the teen who's sure to grace headlines for years to come.

Cori Gauff made Wimbledon and Grand Slam history.

Before becoming the youngest woman to win a Wimbledon match since 1991, Gauff was already the youngest-ever player to qualify for the prestigious U.K. tennis championships after receiving a wildcard offer.

"I have nothing to lose playing against one of the greatest players of all time, and I'm just super honored I get to share the court with her," the young athlete said in an interview before the history-making match. Catch the full video below.

Currently in 2021, Gauff is ranked 23rd in the world and has just entered the third round at Wimbledown.

And in June 2021, while competing at the French Open, she became the youngest American athlete—since Venus Williams at the 1997 U.S. Open—to reach the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament.

Gauff is from Atlanta, Georgia.

Though her family is originally from the Georgia capital, they currently live in Delray Beach, Florida. She has two younger brothers, and her extremely supportive parents were athletes themselves. Her father Corey (she's named after him) was a point guard at Georgia State University and her mother Candi was a gymnast and track star at Florida State University.

Corey is also Gauff's lead coach and has been since she started playing at eight years old. He not only supports her game, but wants her to speak out on issues and moments in the zeitgeist.

"I’ve always challenged her, from the beginning of this when we started, telling her that she’ll be able to change the world with her racket,” Corey said. “So I’m not going to encourage her, when she gets there, to stick her head in the ground and ignore social issues.”

Gauff also made the U.S. Open girls' final when she was 13-years-old—making her the youngest-ever to do so—and later won the French Open girls' singles title.

Gauff idolizes the Williams sisters

"Serena Williams has always been an idol, and Venus, I mean, they're the reason why I wanted to pick up a tennis racket," she said in an interview with Wimbledon. "I met them both and they're both super kind people and I'm just super happy and thankful that they chose to play tennis because I'm sure they'll dominate any sport they wanted to play."

Serena made a surprise visit to one of Gauff's practices back in October 2018. Apparently, the tennis star wanted to congratulate the then-15-year-old over her sponsorship contract with New Balance. In screenshots of what appears to be Gauff's Instagram story, she shared the news.

"Ya'll I was practicing and SERENA WILLIAMS CAME AND SAID HI TO ME. They were shooting a commercial on stadium court and I was practice on the side court and I see someone who looks like her coming towards my court and I'm like is that the real Serena or a stunt double?" she wrote.

Catch the full story in the tweet below.

Serena herself admires Gauff's success, reflecting on her remarkable ability to the New York Times.

"I see her out there working, training, her and her dad; it reminds me of the time where I was out there with my dad,” Williams said. “I can’t help but look inside of myself and be proud and be happy for her.”

She was estimated to have made $1 million in 2019.

When she was just three years shy of 18, Forbes estimated that the high schooler would make an estimated $1 million in 2019. The impressive sum was due to an endorsement partnership with Italian pasta company Barilla, and multi-year sponsorship agreements with New Balance and racket-making company Head.

With that in mind, when asked in 2017 what her biggest dream was, she gave ESPN a simple answer: "I want to be the greatest of all time."

Looks like she's headed in that direction.

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