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Tennis player Coco Gauff has tested positive for Covid-19 and will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics, where she was scheduled to lead the U.S. team.
Gauff, 17, broke the news on her own social media on Sunday, where she wished the rest of the team the best of luck on the international stage. It would have been Gauff’s first Olympic appearance after a string of notable appearances in Grand Slam tournaments over the past few years.
“I am so disappointed to share the news that I have tested positive for COVID and will not be able to play at the Tokyo Olympics,” Gauff wrote. “It has always been a dream of mine to represent the United States at the Olympics, and I hope there will be a lot more chance for me to achieve that in the future.”
The young tennis phenomenon was set to lead Team USA’s 12-person squad with Jennifer Brady, Jessica Pegula and Alison Riske in the women’s singles division, the Olympic team announced earlier this month.
“The entire US Olympic tennis contingent is heartbroken for Coco,” the American Tennis Association said in a statement on Sunday. “We wish her the best as she faces this unfortunate situation and hope to see her back on the courts very soon.”
A number of big tennis stars will miss out on this summer’s Olympics, including Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. It is also the first Olympic Games in 25 years that will have neither Serena Williams nor Venus Williams.
Serena Williams told reporters last month that she would not be competing in the competition, although she did not disclose the reasons. Her decision came ahead of an injury that forced her out of Wimbledon in her first round match.
It is not known if Gauff, who turned 17 in March, is vaccinated, but it is possible to still be positive with breakthrough infections. It is not known if Gauff was staying in the Olympic Village at the time of his positive test result.
Gauff’s announcement comes just a day after it was announced that a games organizer who was staying at the Olympic Village tested positive for Covid, and two days after an assurance from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach that there was “no risk” for the athletes to infect anyone outside of the cordoned off section of Tokyo.
She is one of three athletes who announced infection on Sunday, as two members of the South Africa squad – players Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi – have also reportedly tested positive. A South African video analyst and rugby coach have also been infected, the South African team said in a statement.
“They were tested upon arrival, daily at the Olympic Village, and complied with all mandatory measures implemented to ensure the safety of Games participants and the Japanese people, including keeping a physical distance and wearing masks at all times. “, indicates the press release Sunday. mentionned.
The Tokyo Olympics, which have been delayed for a year due to the pandemic, will go without spectators for fear of an increased risk of infection. Its opening ceremony is due to begin on Friday, although officials have urged traditional crowds of spectators.
“Normally we would all like to cheer on our athletes at venues, but under the current circumstances I ask you to cheer on at home with your family or with the people you meet regularly,” said Dr Shigeru Omi, a top Japanese government’s Covid-19 advisor, said last week. “Please refrain from cheering in large groups in public squares, streets or restaurants. “
Infection rates are on the rise in Japan, which avoided the worst of the pandemic through social distancing and masking precautions, but only vaccinated around 26% of its population, according to Reuters.
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