LeBron James and an unforgettable Olympic experience for American tennis players
This week in Cincinnati, American athletes return to compete in the U.S. for the first time since the Olympic Games.
During the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics, basketball icon LeBron James was a prominent figure, and he was joined by familiar faces from the tennis world, including Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. The U.S. team had a significant moment when WTA star Coco Gauff co-led the flag-bearing alongside James, allowing the entire tennis team a close encounter with the NBA players.
Fritz expressed his excitement about the experience: “It was really cool. It was awesome that Coco was a flagbearer, and it was great for us too. We got to experience the opening ceremonies differently since we were up front with the basketball players,” he shared at the Cincinnati Open, where he is seeded 11th. “It was one of the coolest experiences.”
James, who contributed to the U.S. men’s basketball team winning gold, even captured a photo with the American tennis athletes. Paul remarked on the experience of being associated with Gauff: “It was cool. We were just riding the Coco Gauff train. It was amazing to see her have her moment as a flagbearer at the Olympics.”
The tennis players, which also included Christopher Eubanks and Marcos Giron, had the unique opportunity to travel to the ceremony on the same bus as the renowned U.S. basketball team. Paul noted the exciting atmosphere: “Being on the bus with the U.S. basketball team was really cool, too. I spoke a bit with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, but we mostly just took a picture with Bron as he was occupied talking to Coco.”
In addition to the memorable experience off the court, Fritz reached the third round in singles while Paul advanced to the quarter-finals. Neither player returned empty-handed, as the Americans took home bronze in men’s doubles, joining silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram as Olympic tennis medalists.
As they look ahead to their first tournament in the U.S. since the Olympics, Fritz reflected on the overall experience, stating, “Before the event even started, just being there made me happy with my decision to go.”