"Wearing a lot of pink lately" - Coco Gauff teases Ben Shelton with a 'Barbie' comment as he turns heads in latest magazine photoshoot

Coco Gauff teased Ben Shelton over his recent fondness for pink as he turned heads in pictures from his latest photoshoot.

Shelton is the man of the moment, thanks to his semifinal run at the 2023 US Open. Basking in the glory, the young American featured in GQ Hype’s latest issue. He was captured in several casual looks. One fit in particular captivated the tennis world as well as Coco Gauff – a pink rib knit polo sweater.

Ben Shelton has donned pink frequently in recent days. Notably, the 20-year-old’s US Open outfits were themed around the color. While introducing the fit, Shelton had jokingly warned followers to refrain from making any ‘Barbie’ comments, in light of the recently released movie, which he has yet to watch.

“New look. Better not see no barbie comments,” he joked at the time.

Following his latest GQ photoshoot, however, Coco Gauff couldn’t help herself. She teased her compatriot for staying on brand with the movie’s theme.

“Sureeee wearing a lot of pink lately for someone who refuses to watch Barbie,” the 19-year-old joked in a comment on Instagram.

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"She messes with me sometimes" – Ben Shelton on Coco Gauff

Ben Shelton at the 2023 US Open

Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton have often publicly spoken about their off-court friendship.

In the recent interview with GQ, Shelton touched upon his bond with his compatriot. The 20-year-old revealed that the US Open champion often chaffs about him being a tyro on the tour.

“So she messes with me sometimes,” he said. “She’ll be like, ‘Hey, what’s up, rookie? How’s the year going so far?’”

It is worth noting that while Gauff is just 19 years old, she has been a part of the professional circuit for over four years. Shelton, meanwhile, is relatively new, having turned pro just last year.

The US Open semifinalist further termed his relationship with Gauff to be that of a brother and sister.

“Coco is a little sister to me! She’s definitely one of the ones I’m talking about,” he said.

Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton have taken the tennis world by storm, and are arguably two of the greatest next-gen talents from their country.

Both Americans have had remarkable success this season and are currently enjoying their respective career-high rankings.

Shelton featured in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open earlier this year, before doing one better at the US Open by reaching the semifinals. He is thus currently placed at a career-high ranking of World No. 19.

Coco Gauff, meanwhile, hit a purple patch during her North American hardcourt campaign. The 19-year-old started with a trophy at the WTA 500 Citi Open, which was her biggest title at the time. Just days later, she surpassed the achievement by winning her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open.

In the weeks that followed, Gauff unlocked an even greater achievement by clinching her first-ever Grand Slam title at the US Open. She now stands at a career-best ranking of World No. 3. Additionally, she recently reclaimed her World No. 1 spot in doubles.