DEVASTATING

Coco Gauff Out of Tokyo Olympics After Testing Positive for COVID-19

The 17-year-old tennis star was set to lead Team USA in her first Olympics.

Coco Gauff’s Olympic dreams are over before they can even start. The 17-year-old tennis star will not be competing in the Tokyo Games after testing positive for COVID-19, leaving Team USA without its leader. In a statement Sunday, the U.S. Tennis Association wished Gauff the best and said it hoped for a return to the court in the near future. The day before Gauff’s announcement, the first COVID-19 case was confirmed within the Olympic Village. Two members of Team South Africa, Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi, also tested positive, according to a statement by the team. The Tokyo Olympics are set to begin on Friday with the opening ceremony. The venues will have no spectators to reduce the risk of infection. So far, only 26 percent of the population in Japan has been vaccinated, and COVID-19 cases are on the rise.