Dog interrupts ITF match in Argentina—and instantly becomes a viral sensation

Dogs and tennis are a match made in heaven.

We’ve seen them steal the show as enthusiastic 'ball dogs' in Rio, and just this weekend Anna Kalinskaya’s adorable pup took center stage in Washington D.C., even comforting her after a tough runner-up finish.

In Pergamino, Argentina, one very good boy couldn’t resist the temptation of tennis balls during an ITF W35 event—becoming a social media sensation after repeatedly interrupting a match to chase down stray balls.

The canine cameo happened during the final qualifying match of the day between Chile’s Martina Macarena Torrales Tebes and Argentina’s Malena Auce. With Auce leading 1-1, 40-15 and walking back to the baseline to serve, a dark brown-colored dog bounded onto center court—tongue out and tail wagging—before dashing off to snag a tennis ball near the back wall. He was later seen visiting neighboring courts on a ball-hunting spree.

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The moment was first spotted by Argentine X (formerly Twitter) user Tommy (@tomistGG), who posted a screenshot from the tournament’s live stream with the caption:

“The prestigious South American ITF circuit, you wouldn’t understand it.”

He then followed up with an important update later in the set: “He is stealing balls from all the courts with impunity.”

The post quickly went viral, racking up more than 133,000 views to date and hundreds of retweets across South America. Social media users chimed in with their own jokes, like: “Leave him alone, he’s training to be a ball boy!” and: “Puppies and racquets are in this summer.”

Another user, @Argentenista, added: “It could be a tennis tournament or any public university. In South America, we have dogs everywhere 🫶🏻”

Even Auce didn’t seem to mind the disruption. After closing out the 6-1, 6-2 win, she shared the viral post with the caption:

“Lucky dog, come back tomorrow please!”

Auce returns to the court on Monday to face the No. 1 seed Jimar Geraldine Gerald Gonzalez of Chile at the historic Club de Tenis Pergamino.

The ITF W35 event offers $30,000 in prize money and 35 WTA ranking points for the champion—and marks a major milestone as the first time professional tennis is being played in the city of Pergamino.