Coco Gauff funnily tells why she decided to delete X (ex-Twitter) app from her phone

In a hilariously relatable confession, tennis superstar Coco Gauff has revealed the surprising reason she deleted the X (formerly Twitter) app from her phone: a “bad addiction” to a popular reality TV show. The World No. 2, who recently won the French Open and is currently competing in the Cincinnati Open, admitted that her digital detox wasn’t a result of online negativity or the drama of “tennis Twitter.” Instead, her social media break was an effort to regain focus after becoming completely engrossed in the summer dating series, Love Island.

A “Bad Addiction” to Reality TV 📺

Gauff’s revelation came during a post-match press conference, where her playful honesty was on full display. She confessed, “I had to delete Twitter after last week because I’m too involved with Love Island.” The American athlete explained that her obsession began last season, but this summer she was able to start from the beginning of the new season, leading to a “bad addiction” that started around the time of the French Open. This level of dedication was so serious that she would wake up in Europe at 6 a.m. to watch new episodes, and wouldn’t dare open her phone beforehand to avoid spoilers.

But the obsession didn’t stop with just one show. Gauff said that she also started getting drawn into another series she had never watched. “Then for some reason, The Summer I Turned Pretty was coming up, and I’d never watched that, but I was into it even not watching the show! I was like, ‘Ok, I’m getting too addicted.'” This multi-show rabbit hole was the final straw, prompting her to remove the app from her phone to regain control of her time and attention.

Gauff’s candidness about her social media habits has resonated with fans, who appreciate her down-to-earth personality. She even went into detail about her “bad obsession,” confessing she was in “two Love Island group chats” and had even hosted a watch party. She also expressed a desire to be a contestant on the show herself if she weren’t a professional tennis player, saying, “They would never cast me, but you know, I would totally—if I didn’t play tennis—I would totally do it. It just seems so fun to be on a vacation in Fiji!”

The Balancing Act of Fame and Social Media ⚖️

While Gauff’s current social media hiatus is for a lighthearted reason, she has been open in the past about the more serious challenges that come with online fame. The young star has previously discussed using “burner accounts” on different platforms to avoid the constant barrage of negative comments, death threats, and abuse that many athletes face. She has detailed a strategy of blocking and filtering out negativity, stating that she will “literally spend 30 minutes blocking all the people” because she doesn’t believe she is “entitled to read negative things about myself.” She has also called for social media platforms to do more to combat the issue by banning repeat offenders.

This recent “detox” highlights the complex relationship modern athletes have with social media. While it allows them to connect with fans and showcase their personalities, as Gauff does so well, it also presents a constant source of distraction and potential negativity. For Gauff, the decision to step away from X was a funny and relatable example of her commitment to managing her life and career, proving that even a world-class athlete isn’t immune to the allure of binge-watching TV shows and the drama that follows online.