Coco Gauff on honor of being USA flag bearer at opening ceremony: 'I hope I don't drop it'

PARIS — Coco Gauff faced a specific dilemma at her first Olympic Games.

Who was the 20-year-old tennis star going to nominate to be the U.S. flag bearer ?

As she kept telling tennis teammate Jessica Pegula, her doubles partner, no one from their sport stood a chance. Was there even a point to suggesting a tennis player?

So imagine Gauff’s surprise when it was revealed that not only would a tennis player carry the U.S. flag in the opening ceremony ’s parade of nations, but also the tennis player would be her .

So, roughly 24 hours after finding out, has it sunk in yet?

“Yes, no, I don’t know, I don’t even remember when I was told,” Gauff said Thursday, a smile escaping her lips. “It’s never been a tennis player before. Allowing me to hold this honor, it means even more when it comes to the peers around me. To be a part of that excellence means a lot.”

The news was delivered by her other teammate, Chris Eubanks, in a video that’s since gone viral.

"I think with her, it’s not only about what she brings to the game, but what she brings to the world at large,” Eubanks said of his decision to campaign for Gauff. “We’ve seen her be very outspoken about causes she finds important , we’ve seen her, from a super young age, have a lot of expectations ... and she’s handled it with class. She’s doing a great job maintaining her innocence, in a way — she loves going to the movies, loves anime, loves being a normal 20-year-old — but there’s also a lot of pressure, and she doesn’t really seem to see it. I think that’s pretty special.

“People are staring to see her as more than just a tennis player.”

Gauff will share the honor with NBA star LeBron James , a player she grew up watching when he starred with the Miami Heat (Gauff grew up in Florida). She admitted she’s “a little concerned about the height difference,” given that she’s just pushing 5-foot-11 and James is a solid 6-foot-9.

When she got the news, she got emotional — what she jokes is her “shock response" — and turned away from her teammates to cry privately in a corner. That she found out from Eubanks, who she considers “a big brother” made it that much sweeter.

Her teammates have also given her strict instructions: She’s to confidently introduce herself to James and then ask for six USA basketball pins. She’s worried she might be too intimated. Plus, she has her own concerns about the opening ceremony.

“I have no idea what I’m supposed to do,” she said, laughing. “I just hope I don’t drop (the flag), and I hope it’s not too hot. Those are the two things I’ve been thinking about the most.”

Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coco Gauff on honor of being USA flag bearer at opening ceremony: 'I hope I don't drop it'