Coco Gauff has stepped out for a late-night ice cream with tennis heartthrob Ben Shelton at the Australian Open in a development that will be sure to breathe new life into rumours the stars are romantically linked.
The world No.3 and her fellow American were pictured laughing and smiling as they stepped out on Sunday night ahead of their first-round clashes at Melbourne Park.
Fashion-forward Gauff was wearing loose-fitting blue jeans and a pink cut-off singlet top, with Shelton also sporting a casual look with jeans and a black hoodie that he later took off to reveal a Philadelphia 76ers NBA T-shirt.
The pair have been the subject of romance rumours since last year as they are frequently seen together and often tag each other on social media.
Gauff and Shelton played doubles together at the 2024 US Open, where they also kicked off the tournament by playing the first matches in the men’s and women’s singles competitions and had a moment that went viral when he left her hanging as she tried to high-five him after they won a point.
In March last year they took to social media to share their experience in an escape room challenge, and they’ve often complimented each other in interviews.
Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton are pictured on a late-night ice-cream run in Melbourne before they kicked off their Australian Open campaigns
There has been plenty of speculation that the American stars are more than just friends
Gauff – who is a big chance of breaking Aryna Sabalenka’s run of titles in Melbourne – and Shelton are the brightest young stars of American tennis
‘She’s charismatic. Such a great athlete. Has so many qualities out there that resemble a male player,’ Shelton told the media at Flushing Meadows last September.
‘You can see something from her that’s special and different. She plays with a lot of passion. You can tell she cares out there.
‘She’s into it every time she’s out on court. I think that’s something people love.’
In March last year Gauff opened up about the importance of her friendship with Shelton and fellow player Chris Eubanks at the Miami Open.
‘It’s great to have two guys on tour that I just get to step away from this world a little bit,’ she explained.
‘With the women, we have friendships, but we’re always going to have to play each other in a tournament, so sometimes we don’t hang out like before.
‘Chris I’ve known since I was a little kid, and I got closer to Ben through Chris … we all root for each other, [have] a good friendship, we all have Atlanta roots.’
Gauff talked about her partner – but refused to reveal his identity – after winning the women’s singles crown at the 2023 US Open.
Asked how she celebrated the breakthrough grand slam victory, she said, ‘I just called my boyfriend and said let’s talk until it’s time to go to sleep, so we spoke until 1am.’
She gave her fans some more information on the mystery man in March last year.
‘He’s a very nice guy. He’s in school now. He’s about to apply for music school. He wants to be an actor and play the guitar,’ she told Vogue in comments that led fans to believe she was seeing musician Jalen Sera.
But in the absence of any official confirmation from Gauff, fans are still on the lookout for any signs that her relationship with Shelton goes beyond friendship.
Gauff powered her way to a 6-3 6-3 win over Sofia Kenin on Monday, Australian time
Shelton (pictured on the practice court at Melbourne Park) has the biggest serve in tennis – and his shirtless displays have also won him plenty of fans
Ranked No.3 in the world, Gauff is regarded as one of the best chances of preventing Aryna Sabalenka from winning three Australian Open crowns in a row.
She plays America’s Sofia Kenin in the first round in Melbourne, and is paying $5.50 with Australian bookmakers to take the title, just behind Sabalenka at $2.80 and Iga Swiatek at $4.50.
Shelton – whose shirtless displays at big tournaments have gone over a treat with some tennis fans – comes into the Australian Open as the 21st seed after making it into the quarter finals of the tournament in 2023.
He also fought his way through to the semis of the 2024 US Open in his best result in a grand slam so far, going down to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
Known for his record-breaking serve, which he can send down at around 240kmh, his heroics at Flushing Meadows last year saw some experts stamp him as the best chance for an American man to win a slam title since Andy Roddick last did it in 2003.
Tennis coach Scott Perelman – who helped train Shelton from an early age – said of the 22-year-old, ‘This is rare air in tennis – guys who are the total package like Ben is. He has all the intangibles to be the best player in the world.’
