Wimbledon 2026: Coco Gauff breaks silence on viral Bad Bunny clip, says ‘I was his background dancer’

Coco Gauff’s Wimbledon campaign began with a convincing win, but it was a funny off-court moment involving Bad Bunny that ended up drawing almost as much attention as her performance. The American star defeated Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch in straight sets in the first round on Monday, ending a difficult run on grass that had stretched back to last season.

Soon after the match, however, reporters wanted to know more about a viral Instagram Story Gauff had shared just hours earlier.In the post, Gauff jokingly called herself Bad Bunny’s “background dancer” after appearing in a video from one of the Puerto Rican singer’s recent performances. When asked about it after her Wimbledon victory, she shared the story behind the unexpected moment and explained how she ended up in the clip.

Coco Gauff shares story behind viral Bad Bunny Instagram post

Earlier on Monday, Gauff posted a video on her Instagram Story showing Bad Bunny performing on stage while several women danced behind him. The tennis star could briefly be seen among the group, prompting plenty of curiosity from fans.Looking back at the moment, Gauff laughed about how it happened.

“Lol I forgot to share from two nights ago but I was mr.benito’s background dancer,” she wrote on Instagram, referring to the singer by his real name, Benito.

The video was reportedly recorded a few days before Wimbledon began. While the post quickly caught attention online, Gauff made it clear she was simply enjoying the event and never expected to become part of the show.

Coco Gauff reveals unexpected encounter with Bad Bunny

Speaking to reporters after her win, Gauff explained that the experience was completely unplanned.“I was happy. I don’t even think he knew I was there. It was funny. I was with my friend and somebody tapped behind me and it was Bad Bunny.

I was like oh sorry. And he was like, performing.”The world No. 2 said she had been invited to La Casita and enjoyed spending time there before the tournament.Bad Bunny’s name had already become part of the Wimbledon conversation after he was spotted in Novak Djokovic’s player box during the Championships. When Gauff learned that the singer had been supporting Djokovic, she responded with a joke of her own.“Well I was in the casita with Novak but he didn’t come to my match,” she said with a smile.

Coco Gauff starts Wimbledon strongly after difficult grass-court run

The light-hearted exchange came after an important win for Gauff on court.Before Wimbledon, she had not won a grass-court match since reaching the fourth round of the tournament last year. Her 2025 Wimbledon run ended with a loss to fellow American Emma Navarro, and she then suffered three more defeats on grass to extend the streak.Ahead of this year’s event, Gauff spoke openly about wanting to feel more comfortable on the surface.

She said she hoped playing on grass would become more natural with time and experience.Her performance against Tamara Korpatsch suggested that progress may already be happening. Gauff looked confident throughout the match and needed less than an hour to secure her place in the second round.While her tennis remains the main focus at Wimbledon, her unexpected Bad Bunny story gave fans another memorable moment to talk about during the opening week of the tournament.