Ben Shelton unwittingly created a comical moment during his mixed doubles match at the US Open, leaving his partner, Coco Gauff, to high-five herself in front of a packed crowd. The pair were competing in Tuesday’s “Mixed Madness” doubles competition against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa. 

Despite trailing 2-1 in the first set, the American duo managed to sync up and score a crucial point. After Gauff’s serve led to a shot from Badosa that Shelton volleyed back, causing Tsitsipas to scramble, cameras caught a jubilant Shelton tying the match at two games each.

However, he was so engrossed in his own excitement that he failed to notice Gauff approaching for a celebratory high-five. Completely absorbed by the crowd’s energy, Shelton missed Gauff’s outstretched hand, leaving her standing awkwardly as she was left hanging.

After a few seconds, Gauff decided to high-five herself to downplay the embarrassing moment. The incident was shared by the official US Open account on X, where fans reminisced about previous viral moments between the pair and praised Gauff for taking the situation in stride, laughing it off as Shelton continued his celebration oblivious to what had happened.

One tennis joked: “This is one of the most Ben Shelton things Ben Shelton has ever done”. The American pair, who frequently make public appearances together and often give each other shout-outs on social media, share a close bond.

Their friendship is so strong that Gauff felt compelled to address rumors of a secret romance between them. She dismissed the speculation, revealing she has a boyfriend but keeping his identity under wraps.

“He’s actually from Atlanta. And actually, um, I will say this: People on Twitter found him two or three days ago, ” Gauff shared. “I won’t respond and confirm if it’s him or not, but they caught me in the comments, so they know. Some people thought it was someone in tennis, which couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Shelton and Gauff made history as the first pair of American tennis players under 21 to reach the semifinals of the same Grand Slam event together, achieving this feat at last year’s US Open. Gauff clinched her first Grand Slam title in the women’s tournament, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

The 21-year-old made it to the event’s semifinals, becoming the youngest American to do so since 1992. Shelton triumphed over fellow American Francis Tiafoe in a thrilling four-set quarterfinals match, before succumbing to Novak Djokovic in the semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium.