Coco Gauff has revealed that several members of the USA women’s tennis team fled the Olympic Village to stay in hotels after finding the accommodation unsuitable. The 20-year-old is now the only member of her team remaining at the team base where all the athletes are housed in Paris.
Gauff is part of Team USA at the Olympics and will be competing in the tennis event. She sailed through her first doubles match with partner Jessica Pegula on Saturday.
The US Open champion faces Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the singles draw tomorrow (Sunday).
However, behind-the-scenes, the American women’s tennis team were left with what they believed to be unsuitable facilities at the Olympic Village. Gauff claims that 10 women were forced to share only two bathrooms, prompting most of the team to find hotels.
She wrote in a TikTok video: “10 girls, two bathrooms #OlympicVillage.”
One fan suggested Gauff should also move to a hotel, with the tennis ace responding: “All the tennis girls moved to a hotel except me. so now just five girls, two bathrooms.”
However, Gauff revealed that she has been enjoying her stay at the Olympic Village. She has been able to relax with fewer people inside her accommodation.
She wrote: “Well it’s only five girls now so I have the room alone. roommates are very chill. I love it.”
Gauff also told one fan that the American archery team lended her a mattress topper to make her bed more comfortable.
Meanwhile, Team USA’s Olympic Village Director Daniel Smith revealed that athletes have a choice between staying in the accommodation provided by Games bosses, where many athletes will stay for the next two weeks, or living in hotels. Many high-profile stars, including Team USA basketball players LeBron James and Stephen Curry, have decided to stay in luxury Parisian accommodation.
“If a sport decides not to stay in [the village], they have to find their own arrangements in terms of where they’re going to stay, and make their own hotel contracts,” Smith told People.
“A challenge with that is that basically you’re outside of the bubble at that point and Paris 2024 won’t provide you transportation from your specific hotel.
“All of the meals, all of those additional pieces that come along with logistics that athletes in the Village get, you stay out and all of that is on you.”