Coco Gauff is soaking it all up in her first Olympic Games, including sharing two bathrooms with a fleet of athletes. This weekend, after her first tennis event was rescheduled due to inclement weather, the tennis star took to TikTok to share an inside look at life in the Olympic Village.
In a seven-second video, Gauff showcased how chaotic the getting-ready process is among the 10 female athletes forced to share two bathrooms. Using a “rage” sound effect, Gauff jokingly seemed overwhelmed as she showcased the various women doing hair and makeup, and getting dressed in various corners of each room and bathroom.
“10 girls, two bathrooms #olympicvillage,” Gauff captioned the video.
Though getting ready may require a bit more patience, the 20-year-old athlete is enjoying the Olympic lifestyle. So much so that she opted to stay in the official village while some of her other teammates moved into hotels. Using the opportunity to network, connect and learn from the best, Gauff is reportedly happy to stay with the other athletes on-site.
“I mean, I had breakfast with Noah Lyles this morning, so hopefully some of his greatness can rub off of me. So that’s why I’m in the village,” she said, per People magazine. “Just rubbing toes and I’m really trying to take everything in and learn from all the athletes that I am around. I’m a rookie compared to most of them, so I have a lot to learn.”
Unlike Gauff, some of her teammates decamped to hotels shortly after arriving in Paris. As Emma Navarro, a Team USA tennis star explained, living in the village was too much for her. According to the star, the decision came from the lack of sleep she experienced while in the communal housing.
“Yeah, I stayed in there for three nights, I think, but I didn’t sleep basically at all; I slept cumulatively six hours, so I had to move out and go to the hotel,” Navarro told People magazine, confirming that Gauff is still in the Olympic house. “It was an incredible experience just getting to be in the village. And we rode an elevator with Katie Ledecky and met Simone Biles and saw so many incredible athletes. So that’s something I’ll never forget.”
So far, Gauff’s Olympic debut has been nothing short of memorable. In addition to making a comeback after COVID interfered with her ability to compete in 2020, the 20-year-old tennis champion was chosen to be Team USA’s female flag bearer during the opening ceremony alongside LeBron James. Emotional and shocked by the moment, Gauff was even more surprised to learn her family knew about the honor before her.
“They knew the news before me — which, I thought I was gonna surprise them on the phone, and [my mom] was like, ‘Yeah, I already knew,'” Gauff told People. “So I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s great.’ But I’m glad that they’ll be able to come and be here. I know they’re excited.”
Ultimately, the tennis star is embracing every moment of the 2024 Paris Olympics as she prepares to compete in women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, which add up to multiple matches a day.
“I just love winning; I love the vibes,” she added. “I probably won’t be doing that much more longer, but I feel like if you’re [in the] Olympics, I’m always going to try to push and do all three [events] until the wheels fall off.”