Men’s Tennis has been dominated over the past few decades by Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer. None of those superstars are from the U.S., and it has been nearly a decade since the U.S. has produced a top player, the last of which was Andy Roddick.
However, at just twenty years of age, Ben Shelton has opened eyes this September in the U.S. Open. The rising superstar will take on arguably the greatest player of all time, Novak Djokovic, in the U.S. Open Semifinal on Friday. Shelton’s improbable run is quite the spark for U.S. tennis; however, his young career has been far from perfect.
The USA Today’s Dan Wolken says, “The former Florida Gator and NCAA Men’s Singles Champion, Ben Shelton, turned pro shortly after winning the title.”
Shelton’s father, Bryan Shelton, was a tennis professional in the 1990s and was the coach of Florida when Ben won his NCAA Men’s Single Championship.
After watching Shelton’s impressive victory over fellow American Francis Tiafoe, it is clear that Ben is a stellar athlete. His serve can reach an unusual 140 miles per hour. Though Ben’s ability is nonnegotiable, he needs more experience on the big stage.
Earlier this year, he went 4-11. Shelton’s love for the game will prove beneficial when put in difficult situations on the court. However, things began to look upward for Shelton as he reached the Australian Open QuarterFinals and now the U.S. Open Semifinals.
Sports columnist Kurt Streeter of the New York Times stated, “There is no neutral with Shelton. He pumps his fists and shouts in celebration and shows what he feels at virtually every moment of every match — often with a broad, inviting smile.” It is such an excellent achievement for such a young star. He is undoubtedly climbing the ranks with his past few performances.
Streeter also has this to say about watching Shelton, “During his matches in Melbourne, he flashed an eye-widening talent that gave a tennis head like me goosebumps, reminding me of the first time I saw Roger Federer.”
Overall, Ben Shelton has set the Tennis and sports worlds on fire. However, his next task is no small one. Second-ranked Novak Djokovic awaits him in the Semifinals. According to Adesina O. Koiki, Shelton had this to say about Djokovic, “It does not get much better than that. It has been tough the last two matches, playing against Americans, but hopefully, you guys can bring it for me two days from now.”
Aside from Serena Williams, U.S. tennis has been in a drought of producing high-end talent for years, and now that three U.S. men are ranked in the top twenty (and Ben Shelton is not among those yet), U.S. tennis seems to be holding serve for quite some time.
Index
Ben Shelton Makes history, reaches U.S. Open semifinals. (n.d.). Usopen.org. Retrieved September 6, 2023, from https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2023-09-06/2023-09-05_ben_shelton_makes_history_reaches_us_open_semifinals.html
Streeter, K. (2023, September 2). The tennis education of Ben Shelton. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/02/sports/tennis/us-open-ben-shelton.html
Wolken, D. (2023, September 3). Meet Ben Shelton, a U.S. Open semifinalist poised to become the next American tennis star. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2023/09/03/us-open-ben-shelton-rising-american-star/70758627007/