The 2026 Italian Open is proving to be about much more than just another European clay-court tournament for the American tennis squad. Amidst the high-stakes matches at the Foro Italico, Coco Gauff and a star-studded lineup of fellow US players took a well-deserved break for a fun outing in Rome and indulged in Italian cuisine. After her victory in the first round, Gauff shared a funny behind-the-scenes story involving Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe at the team dinner.
Coco Gauff Reveals How Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe Risked a Hot Mic Leak in Rome
Gauff beat Tereza Valentová 6-3, 6-4 in the Round of 64 on Thursday. At the presser after the match, she was asked about the team dinner, and she gave a hilarious rundown.
“We all went to Taverna Trilussa that night and had dinner there. We’re all big backs. Most of us got desserts at that restaurant, and then we went and got gelato afterward, which is probably not the best. We had a good time,” Gauff said.
“The review, definitely chaotic. Frances and Ben were talking. I was like, ‘you better be careful because the mics might pick up whatever you’re talking about.’ Hopefully they didn’t say anything. I was like, Y’all should watch what y’all say.”
Following the restaurant desserts, the massive crew, which included ATP and WTA pros Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula, Tommy Paul, Madison Keys, Frances Tiafoe, Christopher Eubanks, Emma Navarro, Caty McNally, Iva Jovic, Hailey Baptiste, Desirae Krawczyk, and Asia Muhammad, alongside Gauff, headed over to Fiordiluna for round two of their sweet-tooth tour.
Their chemistry was on display in Rome as Keys took over filming duties for “The Players Box” podcast, and captured the players rating the gelato flavors they picked. Gauff fueled her late-night adventure with an elite coffee-pistachio combo, the perfect choice for a warm Roman spring evening.
The clip also included light-hearted comments about Tiafoe’s behavior during the outing, which Gauff used to illustrate the group’s relaxed tone. “We were in a restaurant, and he walked out and put on shades. I was like, why are you putting on sunglasses? I make fun of him because he thinks he’s like LeBron. But it’s funny, so I think it works for him.”
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Gauff kicked off her European clay swing at the Stuttgart Grand Prix in April, pulling off a gritty comeback win against Liudmila Samsonova before losing to Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals. In Madrid, fighting the stomach virus illness and throwing up during the match, she managed to edge past Sorana Cîrstea but lost to Linda Nosková in the Round of 16. The third seed is scheduled to play her next match on Saturday against Solana Sierra.
Meanwhile, Shelton and Tiafoe are set to start their Rome campaign over the next couple of days.
