Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day from Australian Open

Despite being over 9,000 miles away, Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton continue to honor public holidays in their home country, the United States. While competing at the 2025 Australian Open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which falls on the third Monday of January, Shelton and Gauff paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from Melbourne.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed on January 20 this year, celebrates his fight against segregation and racism through nonviolence. Timed near his January 15 birthday, the holiday also encourages community service across America.

Gauff and Shelton took to Instagram Stories to share retro photos of the renowned activist. One of the images Gauff shared included a powerful quote from Dr. King: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton honor Martin Luther King Jr Day (source: Instagram)

At the Australian Open, Gauff and Shelton have had impressive runs, with both reaching the quarterfinals.

For Shelton, this is his second quarterfinal appearance in just his third Australian Open. He continues his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title, having defeated Brandon Nakashima, Pablo Carreño Busta, and Lorenzo Musetti in the first three rounds. In the fourth round, his opponent, Gael Monfils, retired during the fourth set due to a back injury, allowing Shelton to advance to the quarterfinals. He is set to face Lorenzo Sonego on Wednesday, January 22.

Gauff, on the other hand, secured victories over Sofia Kenin, Jodie Burrage, Leylah Fernandez, and Belinda Bencic to reach the quarterfinals. However, her journey ended there as she fell to Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-4 on Tuesday. This marked the Spaniard's first Grand Slam semifinal of her career.

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A brief look at how Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton performed at the 2024 Australian Open

Arthur Ashe Kids' Day - Source: Getty

Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton both participated in the 2024 Australian Open.

It was the fifth time Coco Gauff was competing in the tournament. She began by defeating Anna Schmiedlová in the first round and followed it up with a win over Caroline Dolehide in the second. In the third round, she faced her compatriot Alycia Parks and won to set up a fourth-round clash with Magdalena Fręch. Gauff won her fourth consecutive match in the tournament without losing a set. In the quarterfinals, Gauff defeated Marta Kostyuk to secure a semifinal spot, where she was knocked out by Aryna Sabalenka.

As for Ben Shelton, he was seeded 16th at the 2024 Australian Open. He kicked off his campaign by beating Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round and Christopher O'Connell in the second. Shelton was then eliminated by Adrian Mannarino in the third round.