"She messes with me sometimes, she’ll be like, 'What's up, rookie?'" - Ben Shelton on 'little sister' Coco Gauff

Ben Shelton recently spoke to a leading American magazine about his rapport with Coco Gauff, who won the women's singles title at the recently concluded US Open.

Shelton, who turned pro in 2022, has shown maturity beyond his years lately. He took some big scalps at the US Open and the Australian Open earlier this year, reaching the semifinals and the quarterfinals at the two Majors respectively.

In that context, it felt fitting that GQ probed him on how he has been navigating through his first full-tour season in 2023, and whether Coco Gauff has given him any advice yet.

The 20-year-old revealed that the teen prodigy often pulls his leg over his relative inexperience at the top rung of the game.

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

He also asserted that Gauff is one of the few people that he's always raving about.

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

Coco Gauff, on her part, has set an example for Ben Shelton on how to achieve massive success at a young age.

The 19-year-old has put up an absolute clinic of a season in 2023, in both singles and doubles disciplines. In singles, she has won 45 of her 58 matches on the WTA tour, while taking home four titles thus far.

The highlights of the World No. 3's year include winning her maiden Major title at the 2023 US Open and beating World No. 1 Iga Swiatek en route to her Cincinnati title.

Coco Gauff also ascended to the doubles No. 1 spot with her good friend Jessica Pegula recently, thanks to their quarterfinal appearance at Flushing Meadows. The American duo have won two doubles titles, in Miami and Doha, while finishing runners-up at the WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome.

"I’m talking with Coco Gauff after we both won our match, there’s a mic above our head" - Ben Shelton

Ben Shelton retrieves a ball at the 2023 US Open

During the interview, Ben Shelton also gave his thoughts on the fact that he and Coco Gauff were the center of attention during the 2023 US Open.

“At the US Open, the camera and the mic are always there. You go into the gym, they’re following you. I’m talking with Coco Gauff after we both won our match, there’s a mic above our head," he said.

The American added that the only time he was able to let his hair down and relax completely was when he had made it back to his hotel:

"You don’t really have a safe space where people aren’t watching. When you can get back to your hotel room, you can kind of relax," he added.