Just a few days before the Tokyo Olympic tennis tournament was set to start, American tennis star Coco Gauff was forced to drop out of the Games after she tested positive for COVID-19. NBC Olympics is proud to share an exclusive letter penned by Gauff to her 17-year-old self after she realized she would have to delay her Olympic dreams. Once again, on the cusp of her Olympic debut, the top American player gets candid on her delayed Olympic journey, her growth as a player and person and what she looks forward to as she realizes her Olympic dreams. Special thanks to the WTA for the collaboration on this project.
Dear 17-year-old Coco,
Your eyes don’t deceive you - that’s a positive COVID-19 test. The next one you take will be positive too, as will the third. It’s official – you have COVID, and it’s ruining all your big plans.
You have your bags packed, a plane ticket purchased and a coveted spot at the greatest athletic event in the world, the Olympic Games. Now that lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian will be delayed and you’re devastated.
Behind a stream of tears, you’re going to wonder how you’ll ever be able to break the news to your team captain. Your teammates and friends will have to contend on behalf of your country without you.
With a new day though, you’ll have a new attitude. What else can you do? While your Olympic goal is seemingly on hold, people around the globe are in crises, battling COVID, with real pressure, real hardship and real-life struggles. You’re just missing a big tournament.
The fresh perspective on your situation will make a new goal clear to you: qualifying for the 2024 Paris Games.
As you lean into your joy, keep being vocal about the causes you care about, just like grandma has done throughout her life. Your outlook isn’t defined by the lines painted on the court; it’s solidified by your convictions, your choice to support others and the belief that you can elicit change. Stay strong in who you are, and what you want to communicate with the world.
In those times that the world doubts you – of which there will be plenty - don’t let it frustrate you, let it fuel you. No one can dim your light as long you believe in it. As you hoist that silver trophy at the U.S. Open, your fire will never be brighter. Let it illuminate your future.
It’s always been an honor to represent the United States. As a member of the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team, you will rally for the red, white and blue throughout your career, a distinct privilege you will enjoy.
While tennis is an individual sport, you relish the relationships with your teammates. You’ve been lucky enough that your on-court relationships have turned into off-court friendships. One of those notable friendships is with your idol, Serena Williams. Serena was once just a stranger printed on a poster hanging in your room, and now you still can’t believe she’s a friend and mentor. Her profound impact on tennis, what it means to be a champion and to break barriers is a legacy you hope to uphold and carry with you into your first Olympic Games.
So, I’ll spoil the story for you – you do get to finally play at your first Olympic Games in Paris. The excitement is overwhelming. You can’t wait to travel with your teammates, to take on the Olympic tennis tournament and hopefully increase the United States’ medal count that you continually check each Olympics.
Besides the battle on the court, be sure to enjoy the whole experience outside the confines of Roland-Garros. There will be athletes from across the world that you admire that you will have the opportunity to connect with. You can learn about new sports that have nothing to do with a baseline, backhand or the world of tennis.
In your phone under your vision notes, you wrote that you want to win a medal at the Olympics. Gold, silver, bronze – it doesn’t matter. But you’ve already won, you’ve made your childhood dream of playing at the Olympics, representing the United States, a real reality. And now, finally, you get to enjoy it.
Here is where you take the pen, and author the rest of your Olympic tale. I don’t know how that story will end, whether it’s with a medal or not – but I know you’ll have the courage to write it.
