If you are an avid tennis fan you must have heard about Ben Shelton even before this year’s US Open kicked off. The American tennis player shot to prominence after defeating his compatriot Frances Tiafoe, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7) 6-2 in quarter-finals at the Flushing Meadows. Ben, at the age of 20, became the youngest American tennis player to qualify for the US Open men’s singles semi-finals since Michael Chang in 1992. Ben will now face Novak Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals.
In this article we take a look at Ben Shelton’s glorious career:
Becoming a pro tennis player just a year back, Ben’s meteoric rise has simply been astonishing and a bit unorthodox too. At a time when tennis players start picking up the game at a nascent age, Ben chose a completely different path, albeit unknowingly. Son of the former world number 55 Bryan Shelton and the current coach at the University of Florida, young Ben was a quarterback for his middle school football side.
Ben was not involved in serious tennis until he was around 12. Once he started playing the sport, there was no looking back. Ben guided Florida to their first ever NCAA men’s tennis championship in 2021. The University of Florida tennis player became a pro late in 2022. In May that year, he emerged as the NCAA men’s singles champion. Ben capped off that season as the number one player in the ITA standings.
Ben Shelton’s maiden Grand Slam appearance took place at the US Open last year. The year 2023 started on a high note for Ben. He reached the last eight of the Australian Open earlier this year. Ben’s scintillating Australian Open came to an end after he was defeated by his fellow countryman Tommy Paul at the quarter-finals. Ben ultimately succeeded in avenging that loss at the Flushing Meadows this year.
Ben currently holds the 47th spot in the ATP rankings. He is expected to be placed in, at least, 19th position, when the new rankings will come out next week. Ben, of course, has a chance to attain a greater ranking only if he succeeds in reaching the final stage of the US Open. In his way of a first major final appearance, Ben now finds the Serbian great Novak Djokovic.
“He [Novak Djokovic] has won 23 of these [Grand Slams], it doesn’t get much better than that. It’s been tough the last two matches, I’ve been playing Americans but hopefully you guys bring it for me two nights in a row,” the big-hitting lefty was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
The prospect of defeating Djokovic may appear to be quite daunting for Ben but the 20-year-old will be keen to end the United States’ long wait for their first men’s singles US Open winner since Andy Roddick in 2003.
