Coco Gauff fuels romance rumours as she steps out with tennis heartthrob Ben Shelton at the Australian Open

Coco Gauff has headed out for a late night ice cream with tennis heartthrob Ben Shelton at the Australian Open, in a development that is sure to breathe new life into rumors that the stars are romantically linked.

The world number 3 and her compatriot were pictured laughing and smiling as they stepped out ahead of their first round clashes at Melbourne Park on Sunday evening.

The fashion-conscious Gauff wore loose-fitting blue jeans and a pink cut-off singlet top, while Shelton also wore 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 rumors since last year as they are often seen together and often tag each other on social media.

Gauff and Shelton played doubles together at the 2024 US Open, where they also started the tournament 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 while she attempted a high five to give. him after they won a point.

In March last year, they shared their experiences with an escape room challenge on social media, and have often complimented each other in interviews.

There has been a lot of speculation that the American stars are more than just friends

Gauff – who has a great chance of breaking Aryna Sabalenka’s title streak in Melbourne – and Shelton are American tennis’ brightest young stars

‘She’s charismatic. Such a great athlete. Has so many qualities that resemble a manly player,” Shelton told the media at Flushing Meadows last September.

‘You see something about her that is special and different. She plays with a lot of passion. You can tell she cares.

“Every time she’s on the court, she’s looking forward to it. I think that’s something people love.”

In March last year at the Miami Open, Gauff opened up about the importance of her friendship with Shelton and fellow player Chris Eubanks.

“It’s great to have two guys on tour so I can get away from this world a little bit,” she explained.

‘We have friendships with the women, but we will always have to play against each other in a tournament, so sometimes we no longer interact with each other as before.

‘I’ve known Chris since I was a little kid, and I got closer to Ben through Chris… we all support each other, [have] a good friendship, we all have roots in Atlanta.”

Gauff spoke about her partner – but declined to reveal his identity – after she won the women’s singles title at the 2023 US Open.

Asked how she celebrated her grand slam breakthrough, she said: “I just called my boyfriend and said let’s talk until it’s time to go to sleep, so we talked until 1am.”

In March last year, she gave her fans some more information about the mystery man.

‘He’s a very nice guy. He’s in school now. He is about to apply to a music school. He wants to be an actor and play guitar,” she said Fashion 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 looking for signs that her relationship with Shelton goes beyond just friendship.

Gauff powered his 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 performances have won him plenty of fans too

Gauff is ranked third in the world and considered one of the best chances to stop Aryna Sabalenka from winning three Australian Open crowns in a row.

She will play American Sofia Kenin in the first round in Melbourne and will pay $5.50 with Australian bookmakers to take the title, just behind Sabalenka at $2.80 and Iga Swiatek at $4.50.

Shelton – whose shirtless performances at major tournaments have appealed to some tennis fans – comes into the Australian Open as a 21st seed after reaching the quarter-finals of the tournament in 2023.

He also fought his way through to the semi-finals of the 2024 US Open, with his best result in a grand slam to date, falling to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

Known for his record-breaking serve, which he can shoot at around 150 mph, his exploits at Flushing Meadows last year saw some pundits as the best chance for an American man to win a slam title since Andy Roddick last did that in 2003. .

Tennis coach Scott Perelman – who helped train Shelton from a young age – said of the 22-year-old: ‘This is a rare atmosphere in tennis: guys who, like Ben, are the total package. He has all the intangibles to be the best player in the world.”