LeBron James and the American Tennis Team Share Olympic Memories
This week in Cincinnati marks the first time American athletes are competing on home soil since the Paris Olympics. Among them is basketball icon LeBron James, whose presence during the Opening Ceremony became a memorable experience for tennis players Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.
Fritz and Paul, along with WTA star Coco Gauff—who co-led the U.S. delegation as a flagbearer— were positioned at the forefront of the American boat for the ceremony. This unique placement provided them with the opportunity to interact closely with the basketball team, including James.
“It was really cool to be up front with the basketball players during the Opening Ceremony,” Fritz shared with ATPTour.com at the Cincinnati Open, where he is seeded 11th. “It was definitely one of the coolest experiences of my life.”
James, who played a pivotal role in securing a gold medal for the United States in men’s basketball, even posed for a photo with the tennis team. “It was amazing to ride the Coco Gauff train. We’re up there because of her, witnessing her incredible moment as a flagbearer,” Paul reflected.
Alongside Fritz and Paul were fellow ATP players Christopher Eubanks and Marcos Giron, who also enjoyed a ride to the ceremony on the same bus as the star-studded basketball team. Paul, seeded 10th in Cincinnati, remarked on the thrill of being around such renowned athletes, mentioning he had brief conversations with players like Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, while most of the time James was engaged in conversation with Gauff.
Both Fritz and Paul had commendable runs in their individual events—Fritz reached the third round in singles, while Paul advanced to the quarter-finals. They also contributed to the U.S. tennis team winning a bronze medal in men’s doubles, alongside silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
With unforgettable memories from the Olympics now behind them, their focus shifts to the Cincinnati Open. Fritz concluded with a positive note, “Even before the event began, I was happy with my decision to participate, and medaling only added to that joy.”