20-year-old Coco Gauff fuels romance rumours with late-night ice cream outing at Australian Open

Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton have ignited speculation about a potential romance after being spotted enjoying late-night ice cream together at the Australian Open.

The American tennis stars were photographed laughing and smiling on Sunday night, just ahead of their first-round matches at Melbourne Park.

Gauff, the world No.3, sported a casual look with blue jeans and a pink cut-off singlet, while Shelton wore jeans and a black hoodie, later revealing a Philadelphia 76ers NBA T-shirt.

Romance rumours have surrounded Gauff and Shelton for some time, fueled by their frequent public appearances together and social media interactions, including tagging each other in posts.

They even partnered in mixed doubles at the 2024 US Open, where they also notably played the opening singles matches and shared a viral moment when Shelton unintentionally left Gauff hanging on a high-five attempt.

Other instances fueling the rumours include their joint participation in an escape room challenge last March and their consistent public compliments of one another.

At Flushing Meadows last September, Shelton described Gauff as "charismatic" and "such a great athlete," adding, "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."

Last March at the Miami Open, Gauff spoke about her close friendships with Shelton and fellow player Chris Eubanks, emphasising the importance of having friends outside the competitive women's circuit. She noted the unique dynamic of friendships among female players, given their constant competition against each other.

Gauff previously alluded to having a boyfriend, notably after her 2023 US Open victory when she mentioned calling him to celebrate.

She offered further details to Vogue last March, describing him as a "very nice guy" in school pursuing music and acting, leading some fans to speculate she was dating musician Jalen Sera.

However, with no official confirmation from Gauff herself, the recent ice cream outing with Shelton has reignited interest in their relationship status.