Speaking in January, American Gauff said representing her country at the Olympics was one of her aims for the year, but accepted she faced an uphill battle to secure one of the four places on offer.

At that stage, the teenager was the United States number five, but significantly behind fourth-ranked Madison Keys.

Due to restrictions preventing burnout among young players, Gauff, who turned 16 in March, had a limited number of tournaments to accumulate points before the qualification cut-off point in June.

But with the Games now scheduled to take place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world number 51 has more time to seal a spot at the Olympics.

That "definitely increases my chances [of making the Olympic team] a lot," Gauff said in comments reported by the Team USA website.

"The reasoning behind postponing, obviously I wouldn’t want a whole pandemic to help that, but it definitely increases my chances a lot.

"At the same time, considering the circumstances right now, health is more important so I’m not really trying to think about it too much because peoples’ lives are still at risk and I don’t think it would be fair for me to be like my chances are increasing because of a terrible situation."

Gauff burst onto the scene at last year’s Wimbledon, where she hit the headlines with a first-round victory over compatriot Venus Williams after coming through qualifying.

Her remarkable run was ended by the eventual champion Simon Halep of Romania in the last 16, before impressing at the US Open where she reached the third round.

Gauff also became the youngest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour winner since the Czech Republic’s Nicole Vaidisova in 2004 when she won the Linz Open in Austria aged 15.

Her fine form continued at the start of 2020 as she downed Williams and Naomi Osaka on her way to making the fourth round of the Australian Open.

When asked about her hopes for the Olympics at that stage, Gauff said: "Hopefully I can get my ranking up and qualify.

"I’m pretty sure I only have maybe three tournaments before the French Open, so it’ll be difficult.

"I’m going to try as hard as possible. 

"I definitely do want to play the Olympics. 

"That would be pretty cool.”

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, play was suspended for several months before Gauff returned to action in early August.

In her first tournament since the Australian Open, Gauff reached the semi-finals at the Top Seed Open in Kentucky.

But Gauff then lost in round of 64 at the Cincinnati Masters before suffering a first-round exit at the US Open, losing in three sets to Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova.

June 7 2021 is the new cut-off point for Olympic qualification and there are currently seven Americans ahead of Gauff in the WTA rankings; Sofia Kenin, Serena Williams, Keys, Alison Riske, Amanda Anisimova, Sloane Stephens and Jennifer Brady.