Coco Gauff and Jennifer Brady will lead the U.S. Olympic team that will run in Tokyo without two women and four men, according to the list obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The list of players heading to Japan includes 17-year-old Gauff, 2021 Australian Open runner-up Brady, Jessica Pegula and Alison Riske of the women’s team. The men will be represented by Tommy Ball, Francis Tiafoe, Tennys Sandgren and Marcus Giron.
Notable absences: Serena and Venus Williams, who have won nine Olympic medals, 30 Grand Slam titles in singles and 14 in doubles.
Sofia Kenin, Australian Open champion and 2020 runner-up Ronald Garros, is currently the highest-ranked American, ranked sixth in the world standings, but she chose not to participate.
“It was a tough decision, but I talked about it and discussed it with my clients,” Kenin said after losing 6-2 6-4 to compatriot Madison Pringle in the second round at Wimbledon. “He couldn’t go with anyone and he definitely wanted someone.”
The Tokyo Olympics have been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 cases continue to grow in the host city. The show will begin on July 23, less than two weeks after the Wimbledon final.
Serena Williams, eighth in the world, was discharged over the weekend. He injured his right leg during Tuesday’s game and had to withdraw from the tournament.
Brady, ranked 15th on the WTA, Gauff – who reached the quarter-finals of the French Open this year – is 23rd, Pegola 26th and Riske 29th.
The top four Americans in the ATP rankings Riley Opelka, John Isner, Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda decided not to participate, as did sixth-best American Sam Querrey. Korda decided not to go with her sisters, golf stars Nelly and Jessica Korda.
He will be replaced, according to the latest men’s rating, by Tommy Ball, number 52 in the world; Francis Tiafoe is 57th. Marcos Giron 66th. and Tennys Sandgren, Number 68.
