Coco Gauff has praised a US Open staff member after her energetic welcome chant for the American tennis star went viral on social media.

When Gauff walked on to the practice courts at the 2026 US Open last week, Ayanna Campbell, a 24-year-old guest services representative, led the crowd in a chant.

“When I say Coco, you say Gauff! Coco! Gauff!” Campbell shouted while dancing in front of the stands.

A video of the moment posted by Tennis Channel on Instagram quickly attracted more than two million views. Gauff also reacted to the video, calling Campbell “my queen” and adding: “love her♥️.”

Campbell said she had no idea she was being recorded and was surprised when she discovered that the video had gone viral.

“I was like, ‘I’m so famous,’” Campbell said with a laugh. “I read the comments, everybody’s like somebody’s gotta tell Mama Gauff to put her in the family box at every tournament. I was so stunned.”

Gauff’s mother also appeared to enjoy Campbell’s performance, smiling as she recorded one of the chants from the stands.

Campbell said Gauff has become one of her favourite players because of what she represents.

“Coco has grown to become one of my favourite players. For me, representation matters, and she is one of the players that I love that be representing and putting on for the Black girls,” she said.

However, Gauff is not the only tennis star to receive Campbell’s special welcome.

From her position at the practice courts, Campbell has also led chants for stars including Carlos Alcaraz, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

“Venus was vibing with it, Serena was vibing with it. I was like okay, I’m a little bit in there,” she said with a smile.

This is Campbell’s fourth year working at the US Open. The Queens native was born and raised only a few miles from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

She said the tournament and New York City hold a special place in her heart.

“I always tell folks, New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world,” Campbell said. “It really touches my heart.”

There’s a theory making the rounds in Toronto media circles suggesting Connor McDavid could eventually land with the Maple Leafs.

Speaking on The Leafs Convo podcast, insider Michael Augello relayed comments from another reporter who shared his personal theory about McDavid’s future.

“I was told by another reporter, that’s just his theory & I won’t share his name, but you know talking in the press box about McDavid and he said ‘McDavid wants to play in Toronto, it’s just the question what type of team the Leafs are,’” Augello said.

He added:

“If the Leafs are good, their chances of getting McDavid are good because I think he would want to play in Toronto if they pay him. If they are not good, there’s not a chance.”

The theory has Leafs fans excited, but it comes with two clear conditions: the Maple Leafs must be a legitimate contender, and the organization must be prepared to pay McDavid at market value.

While the idea is purely speculative and comes from an unnamed source, it has sparked plenty of discussion.

Connor McDavid remains committed to the Oilers for now

McDavid is under contract with the Edmonton Oilers through the 2027-28 season after signing a two-year, $25 million extension last year.

He has consistently expressed his desire to win a Stanley Cup in Edmonton and has not indicated any plans to leave before his current deal expires.

“I obviously said I was committed to winning here and I meant that when I said that and two years makes a lot of sense,” McDavid said via NHL. “It gives us a chance to continue chasing down what we’ve been chasing down here with the core guys we have in here and we have a little bit of money to work with too. I think the deal makes sense to both sides.

He added:

“It gives us a chance to extend our window here in Edmonton. [My dog] Lenny is not going to go hungry with that money, so we’ll be fine. It’s about winning and that’s always what I preached and I think this deal gives both sides what we’re looking for.”

McDavid will become an unrestricted free agent in 2028. For now, he’s gearing up for the upcoming season with the Oilers, who will begin their preseason against the Winnipeg Jets next week.

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