Coco Guaff Has Been Sidelined With COVID-19, And 3 US Tennis Pro Have Sent Message Of Support To Her

After testing positive for COVID-19, American tennis star Cori, Coco Guaff has been ruled out of the Tokyo Olympics, leaving the women’s singles team with only three first-time Olympians.

Before traveling to the Summer Games, Alison Riske, Jen Brady, and Jessica Pegula talked with “Good Morning America” shortly after discovering they would be representing Team USA without Gauff.

“She’ll undoubtedly be disappointed. She’ll be disappointed. However, you should realize that she has a lot of potential in this sport. And I’m confident she will “Brady said. “Hopefully, she will make a full recovery and return to the court soon. Back here in the States.”

“It has always been a dream of mine to represent the United States at the Olympics, and I hope there will be many more chances for me to make this come true in the future,” the 17-year-old phenom who was supposed to lead a 12-member squad tweeted just days before opening ceremonies and before traveling to Japan.

Riske, 31, added to her teammate’s remark stating she wanted Guaff to know “she’ll be missed” and to “keep her head up. Keep your health in mind and make sure you’re in good shape; we’ll see you on the court soon.”

In reaction to her revelation, the United States Tennis Association issued a statement on Twitter.

“We were disappointed to discover that Coco Gauff tested positive for COVID-19 and will be unable to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” the USTA said in a statement. “Coco’s death has devastated the hearts of the whole USA Tennis Olympic team. We wish Serena the best of luck as she navigates this difficult circumstance and looks forward to seeing her back on the court as soon as possible.”

Before testing positive for COVID, it’s unknown if Gauff was properly vaccinated.

“Nothing but nice feelings” are expected from all three Tokyo-bound singles competitors, according to Brady. “I’m most enthusiastic about Opening Ceremonies,” Riske remarked.

“We all worked hard to gain a spot on the team. At the end of the day, we all deserve to be here. I believe we will just embrace “Pegula remarked.

Brady said, ” “It will be an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. We are all really proud of each other… let’s go represent the United States!”

For the first time in 25 years, the United States’ tennis team will be without two of its most famous players, as Serena and Venus Williams will be absent.

“These are the females we compete against every week of the year, and we’re competing against the same women we’ll be competing against at the Olympics. And I believe that is a benefit to us “Riske remarked.

Despite the fact that the United States has won 24 Olympic medals in tennis since 1988, Riske stated that “simply bringing medals back would be fantastic.”

While Graff is the most well-known athlete from Team USA to test positive, COVID-19 has also infected others from around the world, including two South African soccer players and a rugby coach. After a case was discovered on their trip, a group of eight British gymnasts is isolating themselves.

The possibility of contracting the virus or testing positive for it has hung big over the Olympic participants.

If a positive test is found, the athlete will be placed in immediate quarantine for up to 14 days and will be unable to compete in the games.

The competitors have been separated for safety reasons to guarantee Team USA gymnastics has adequate substitutes.