Share and Follow
Even the world’s most talented athletes need their reality TV fix. Tennis icon Coco Gauff recently competed in the 2025 US Open, though she had another summer activity on her mind—catching up on her favorite dating series.
In a candid conversation with The Sun, Coco opened up about which show holds her attention when she’s not on the court. After testing out a few different reality shows to see what suits her taste, it appears that she’s become a committed fan of Love Island, and she spoke at length about her obsession.
Coco Got Hooked On Love Island This Summer
Those who have been following Coco’s career will recall that she burst onto the international tennis scene back in 2019. At the time, she was just 15 years old, but she went on to defeat Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon, completely upsetting expectations. After that, she very quickly became established as one of the sport’s most promising young talents.
Known for her powerful baseline game, athleticism, and composure beyond her years, Coco quickly climbed the WTA rankings, earning wins against several other top-ranked players despite her age. Over the next few years, she continued to make deep runs in Grand Slam tournaments, capturing her first WTA title in 2019 and steadily improving her consistency on all surfaces.
When she’s off the court, however, it seems that she has a completely different interest. Coco explained that this summer piqued her interest in dating shows, and that one in particular had become her go-to:
Love Island is really the only reality show I have gotten into. I tried Temptation Island, but I was like, ‘This is just dumb. Who goes on the show with your boyfriend?’ That was just stupid. Love Island took up my whole summer, quite literally.
This isn’t the first time Coco’s been vocal about her love for the reality show, and she continues to show her passion for tuning in. Her followers will know that Coco often shares her reactions to the latest episodes on social media, proving that she’s keeping up with the latest drama unfolding in the villa.
It seems that watching Love Island is one of the most effective ways for the tennis champion to unwind during tournaments or travel days, offering a fun escape from the intensity of the tennis circuit.
Coco Wants The Cast To Watch Her Play
Coco’s obsession begs a much deeper question—would she ever want to meet the cast in real life? Indeed, it seems that Coco is keen on connecting with the reality TV stars if she can.
In the aforementioned conversation with The Sun, Coco noted she was working up the confidence to invite some of the show’s stars to watch her play:
I’m trying to work up the courage to invite one or two of the cast members to a match. But I don’t know. I don’t have the courage.
As of this article’s writing, it’s unclear whether Coco has mustered up the courage to do so.
Back on the court, Coco has made some recent switch-ups to her regimen. Those who have been following her closely will know that she made a rather dramatic coaching change just days before this year’s US Open. She chose to part ways with her longtime coach Matt Daly, opting instead to bring in biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan.
The understanding behind this change is that Coco hopes to resolve her season-long struggles with serving mechanics. Only time will tell if this last-minute shift proves beneficial for her career.
