Star American tennis player Coco Gauff has been struggling immensely at the Olympic Village in Paris. Gauff recently put a video on social media to give fans a sneak peek into the challenging life at the Olympics 2024.
The World No.2 is facing issues mainly because of being the ‘only’ American tennis player remaining in the village. Firstly, the cardboard mattresses do not give athletes like her the much-required comfort they need for rest and sleep. Gauff’s co-athletes decided to move out of the village and opt for private accommodation as the condition of the quarters is apparently not up to the mark.
In order to resolve this issue, Gauff had to borrow a mattress topper from one of the archers of the American archery team. In a social media post (via New York Post), she also revealed that they were only provided 2 washrooms, which had to be shared amongst 10 athletes. So a lack of privacy there and perhaps, hygiene issues are challenges for top-level athletes.
Currently the most successful women’s tennis player in the United States, Gauff has the highest chance of winning a medal for the country in the sport. In this case, her video about the difficulties being faced at the Paris 2024 is concerning and raises several questions for organizers.
The 20-year-old, who was also USA’s flag bearer for the tournament along with basketball legend LeBron James, shared a video on her TikTok account where she showed everyone the chaotic conditions of the Village. In her video, it can be seen how her teammates tried to get ready and do their hair and makeup, amidst all the hustle and crowded space in their temporary accommodation.
Gauff’s Olympics 2024 journey so far
However, despite these challenges in the Village, the American No.1 has been killing it on the court in the tournament. She headed to a winning start in the Olympics in two events.
Alongside Jessica Pegula, she beat the Australian duo of Ellen Perez and Daria Saville in the first round of the women’s doubles on Saturday. Her singles campaign also kicked off with a victory after she defeated Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović on the same day.
Gauff defeated France’s M.L. Carlé in the second round on Monday. She is awaiting her opponents for the third round in the singles and the second round of women’s doubles. In mixed doubles, Gauff is paired up with the American men’s No.1 player, Taylor Fritz.
Gauff has a fantastic opportunity to win as many as three medals for the United States in one Olympics edition, as long as the scheduling is in her favor.
