Paris Olympics: Apart from tennis, it is about making Balaji comfortable in his skin

It's important for Balaji to give his best and not feel the pressure of the big stage. He needs to be comfortable in his skin and play his natural game.

Paris Olympics tennis draw: Djokovic and Nadal could meet in second round

Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Irina-Camella Begu of Romania in the opening round of the women's draw with second-seeded American Coco Gauff taking on Australian Ajla Tomljanovic

Paris Olympics 2024: Andy Murray to play only doubles, not to compete in singles

Andy Murray will now play only in doubles alongside Dan Evans at Paris Olympics 2024.

Coco Gauff to be female flag bearer for US team at Olympic opening ceremony, joining LeBron James

PARIS: Tennis star Coco Gauff will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the US Olympic team at Fridays opening ceremony. Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis athlete to carry the US flag. She and James were chosen by Team USA athletes. I mean, for me, the Olympics is a top priority. I would say equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldnt put it above or below, just because Ive never played before. This is my first time, Gauff said earlier this year. Obviously, I always want to do well, try to get a medal. Gauff and James, the 39-year-old leading scorer in NBA history, both compete in sports that are outside the traditional Olympic world and get attention year-round, not just every four years. The 20-year-old Gauff made the American team for the Tokyo Games three years ago as a teenager but had to sit out those Olympics because she tested positive for COVID-19 right before she was supposed to fly to Japan. Now Gauff, who is based in Florida, is a Grand Slam title winner in singles and doubles. She won her first major championship in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, then added her first Grand Slam doubles trophy at the French Open this June alongside Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic. The same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open will be where matches are going to be held for the Paris Olympics. The draw to set the brackets is Thursday, and play begins on Saturday. Gauff is seeded No. 2 in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, and will be among the medal favorites. She and her usual doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded No. 1 in womens doubles. Its possible Gauff could also be entered in mixed doubles, but those pairings have not been announced yet. Im not putting too much pressure on it, because I really want to fully indulge in the experience, Gauff said about her Olympics debut. Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime, (but) Ill treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Olympic silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova and Hubert Hurkacz withdraw from tennis in Paris

PARIS: Tokyo Olympics tennis silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova withdrew from the Paris Games on Monday because of a hand injury. Also pulling out of the tennis competition in Paris was Polands Hubert Hurkacz, who hurt his knee at Wimbledon this month. Vondrousova, a 25-year-old from the Czech Republic, won Wimbledon last year despite being unseeded and was the runner-up at the French Open played at Roland Garros, the same site being used for tennis matches at these Summer Games in 2019. She is coming off a first-round exit at Wimbledon this month, the first woman since 1994 to lose her opening match a year after winning the title at the All England Club. Vondrousova posted on social media about pulling out of the Olympics, saying that her focus now is on being ready for the US Open, which starts in late August. She was the runner-up to Belinda Bencic of Switzerland at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. Vondrousova is currently ranked No. 18 in the world and would have been seeded No. 12 in Paris. She was replaced on the Czech team by Katerina Siniakova in singles and Linda Noskova in doubles; Noskova will pair with 2023 French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova. Hurkacz, who would have been the No. 7 seed at the Olympics, injured his right knee during his second-round match at Wimbledon on July 4 while diving to hit a shot late in the fourth set against Arthur Fils. Play was delayed for several minutes while a trainer examined and taped up Hurkaczs knee; when action resumed, Hurkacz immediately tried to dive for another volley, then had to stop playing. Hurkaczs best Grand Slam showing was reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021. His victory over Roger Federer in the quarterfinals turned out to be the last match of Federers career. The draw for the Olympics tennis competition is scheduled for Thursday, and matches begin on Saturday.