WTA stars Coco Gauff and Paula Badosa might claim they are not “close friends,” but the reality seems different. After they participated in the American Slam, Badosa bantered with Gauff. The former US Open champion, who mentioned the “age gap” with the Spaniard, replied to her colleague, leaving an interesting question for the fraternity: Is Gauff joining Aryna Sabalenka and Jabeur in the gang of friends?

Badosa is kicking back after her quarterfinal run in the American Slam. As Saba was busy in the tournament, Gauff met up with the former champion. The two hit it off, and the Spanish player shared a selfie on her Instagram story, where she was lying on a bed showing the peace sign and an image of Gauff visible above her. Sharing the snap, Badosa wrote, “Sleeping with good company.” Badosa added laughing emoticons with a heart emoji expressing her hilarious banter with America’s Coco Gauff.

Badosa’s Instagram story didn’t miss this WTA number 6’s attention, and she quickly replied to her colleague. “hahaha, promise not to give you any nightmares lolll,” Gauff wrote while sharing Badosa’s post on her Instagram story. The hilarious exchange of words between Paula Badosa and Coco Gauff showcased their equation off the court.

While the duo shares a jovial interaction in the media, the American revealed in May that she and Badosa aren’t “close friends.” Along with her comment, Gauff also claimed Badosa is “a nice girl” and that “She’s always been nice“ to the former US Open winner. Paula Badosa and Coco Gauff’s interaction might scream about their great friendship, but Gauff has previously explained why there is some distance between her and the Spaniard.

Coco Gauff reveals why she will never be close friends with Paula Badosa

Despite maintaining a hearty interaction with Badosa, Gauff mentioned their “age gap“ as one of the factors stopping the American from being close friends with Badosa. “Definitely, I think we’re pretty friendly on tour. We aren’t close friends. We’re definitely in different stages. I feel like that’s a lot of me on tour. I think she’s 25 maybe, so five years’ age gap. We’re never going to be close friends, but I’m friendly with her on tour. I always root for her,” the former US Open winner said in an interview.

Gauff’s statement might show the practical problems of her friendship with Badosa but also shows how she roots for the Spaniard. Similarly, Badosa also mentioned in an old interview that Gauff messaged her about her well-being after her back problems resurfaced this year, jeopardizing her form at one point. “Unfortunately, with all the injuries she’d had trying to come back, something else was happening. I felt compelled to just send her a message,” said Gauff.

Paula Badosa and Coco Gauff might not be the best buddies, but their off-court interaction is too funny to ignore. Despite not being close, Badosa and Gauff offered an inspirational message about professionalism, showing how friendship blooms in the most unexpected places for unexpected reasons. So, are you rooting for the Badosa-Gauff friendship?