Coco Gauff has “something to prove” across a stacked summer that will see her make her Olympic Games debut and defend her US Open title, according to tennis great Mike Bryan.

Coco Gauff has “something to prove” across a stacked summer that will see her make her Olympic Games debut and defend her US Open title, according to tennis great Mike Bryan.

World No 2 Gauff will head into Paris 2024 off the back of one of her most disappointing results of the season at Wimbledon, where she was beaten in round four by compatriot Emma Navarro.

That was her worst Slam result across the past 12 months, having reached the last four of Roland Garros and the Australian Open in 2024 – and winning her first major at the US Open last September.

However, there will be little time to dwell on that defeat ahead of the biggest summer of her career so far.

A reigning major champion in singles and doubles – following her women’s doubles triumph at the French Open – the 20-year-old is a leading medal contender at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Motivation will be high for Gauff after missing Tokyo 2020 due to COVID, while she will then go on to defend her Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows crowns.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, 22-time Grand Slam winner Bryan believes Gauff does have a point to prove – but looks primed for a huge summer.

He said: “She’s going to be good on the clay, I think that’s maybe one of her favourite surfaces, so I think she’s got something to prove.

“I think she loves playing for her country and she’ll put in a really good performance. I think she’s playing mixed doubles, doubles, and singles, so she’s got a lot of options to do well.

“And I think she can defend the Open, why not?”

Gauff is one of a number of US tennis stars making her Olympic debut at Paris 2024, with Danielle Collins and Taylor Fritz among the other first-time Olympians in the team.

And they will be able to lean on Bryan and twin brother Bob for advice throughout the Games, with the London 2012 gold medallists heading as part of the Team USA squad in a leadership capacity.

“It’s going to be fun to help the guys at the Olympics,” Bryan added.

“We obviously felt it was one of the biggest tournaments during our careers so just to see the excitement in all the guy’s faces when they are there – and a lot of the guys are there for the first time, so they are going to soak in the experience, which will hopefully drive them to try and make a run for a medal.

“Getting an Olympic medal transcends tennis and it’s really cool. We’re excited about it.”