To put it plainly: She is not entirely sure why there is such a fuss.

Gauff remarked, “I just thought I was nobody.” “I still find the whole flag-bearer thing to be absolutely astounding.” Similar to “Why am I up there?”

Gauff was well-liked by other Olympians in Paris.

Other Olympians, would frequently stop Gauff as she strolled through the athletes village in the hopes of striking up a picture op.

“I ask whether I may also take a selfie with you. I simply wasn’t prepared for this,” the Floridian remarked. “Perhaps I’m just not getting it.”

Less than a month ago, Gauff was asked what she thought about the U.S. Open and how important it was to her still-developing career. She said, “It hasn’t been on my mind.”

Gauff claimed that she was instead concentrating on enjoying the 2024 Games to the fullest.

Jessica Pegula, a regular doubles partner for Gauff and a top-10 singles player, said of her, “She’s really embraced her star power, kind of,” but “at the same time, she’s like a kid.”

For Gauff, on court versus off court

Gauff’s Olympic debut went extremely well off the court. He met James, collected pins, got to know people from different backgrounds in a college-style setting, and had breakfast conversations with athletes like Noah Lyles, the gold medallist in the 100-meter dash.

“Aside from maybe Serena, he’s probably the most confident (athlete) I’ve ever met,” Gauff remarked.

The French on-court outcomes? Not as satisfying.

Gauff lost her second match in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles events before retiring in the third round of singles after disagreeing with the chair umpire about a delayed call.

Gauff vowed to improve the following time, saying, “I’ll try to take the positive out of it.”

Gauff is struggling as she returns to the U.S. Open.

Gauff is having a difficult run of results as her title defense, a phrase she claims she despises, is set to start.

She was very furious with her coach, Brad Gilbert, when she lost in the Wimbledon fourth round. Gauff switched to the hard courts to be ready for New York after her Olympic problems, but things did not go as planned: she lost her first match in Cincinnati and her second in Toronto. She fell from No. 2 to No. 3 in her ranking.

Not quite the perfect prelude to her star-making turn at the U.S. Open in 2023, when she won 11 of 12 matches and trophies in Washington and Cincinnati.

The U.S. teammate Emma Navarro, who defeated Gauff at Wimbledon, said of her, “She’s getting constant attention, all the time, and that’s a lot to deal with.” “I think highly of her and the way she manages that.”

Seeing how Gauff performs in Arthur Ashe Stadium under the lights will be interesting. Varvara Gracheva, who has lost in the opening round in New York the last two years, will be her initial opponent.

“You simply are unaware — you are unconscious — of the anticipations that seep into your bodily cells,” stated ESPN analyst and six-time U.S. Open champion Chris Evert. “From Day 1, everyone has been thinking about Coco and saying, ‘She’s the next Serena Williams.'” She will be the next person to take the lead. You remember that for a very long time.

Other intriguing storylines include the recent doping case involving world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic’s attempt to win a 25th Grand Slam title, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka’s battle for a second major championship in 2024, and the American men’s attempt to snap a 21-year Slam drought.

Gauff might be the target of the most criticism.

She remarked, “Obviously, I have a lot more goals than just winning one (major).” “I believe that starting one merely gives you a taste and the confidence that you can succeed again.”