In a sport as prim and proper as tennis, where phones are usually locked away and silence is golden, Coco Gauff just served up a dose of delightful chaos at the French Open—and it came with a ringtone. That’s right. During a break between games in her latest match, the most unexpected sound cut through the quiet tension of Roland Garros: Coco’s phone buzzing. Loudly. And let’s just say… what happened next had fans gasping, players staring, and even the umpire doing a double take.
At first, spectators thought the sound was from someone in the crowd. But all eyes turned toward Gauff’s chair, where her personal bag was subtly vibrating—and glowing. Coco, caught mid-sip from her water bottle, raised an eyebrow, then burst out laughing before quickly silencing the device. But not before the name on the screen was spotted by a nearby camera. And yes, screenshots were circulating online before Coco had even returned to the baseline.
The name? “Dad’s Friend Rob.” Mysterious. Vague. And immediately trending on X (formerly Twitter).
Was it an accidental pocket dial? A suspiciously timed “how are you?” from an old flame? Or perhaps just a family friend with terrible timing? Theories were flying fast. “Imagine being so iconic your phone goes off during a Slam and people thank you for it,” one fan posted. Another joked, “Coco’s got men sliding into her life mid-match. Queen behavior.”
After the match—yes, she won, because of course she did—Gauff addressed the incident with her signature humor. “Yeah, that was not planned,” she chuckled. “I forgot to put it on airplane mode. Rookie move. And no, I’m not telling you who Rob is.”
And that was all it took.
TikTok detectives immediately went to work, trying to identify “Dad’s Friend Rob.” Was he a coach? A music producer? A long-lost crush from the Miami Open? So far, no answers—but plenty of speculation. Even a parody account for “Dad’s Friend Rob” popped up, claiming: “I just wanted to wish her luck. Didn’t know she’d be working.”
Whatever the truth is, Coco Gauff has once again proved she can own the headlines without even trying. Whether it’s through stunning forehands or unexpected FaceTime alerts, she’s got the tennis world on its toes.
