Unleashing Boundless Potential: US Tennis Star Ben Shelton Aims for the Stars
Rising US tennis sensation, Ben Shelton, broke boundaries with his debut international journey, refusing to limit his potential Witness his remarkable journey to greatness
Roughly a year ago, Ben Shelton, a promising tennis player, embarked on his inaugural international journey. Fresh out of college, Shelton was a relatively obscure figure in the tennis world, having only turned professional six months prior. However, armed with a powerful serve and the boldness of youth, his fortunes were about to take a rapid turn.
Shelton tells CNN Sport that it seemed like no one knew him one day, and then suddenly a lot of people did. "It all happened so fast," he says.
Fast forward 12 months, and the 21-year-old American is in Australia getting ready to compete in his sixth grand slam and second at Melbourne Park.
Having had an outstanding start to his young career, Shelton's accomplishments include reaching the quarterfinals of the previous year's Australian Open and advancing to the semifinals of the US Open, where he faced a tough loss to Novak Djokovic. He followed this with a noteworthy victory, claiming his first ATP Tour title in Japan. As he embarks on his second full season as a professional tennis player, Shelton is undoubtedly carrying heavy expectations.
"Tennis coach and broadcaster Brad Gilbert recently told CNN that he could cut his ranking in half, and I think he's going to be the first American [man] potentially to win a slam since Andy Roddick."
Shelton celebrates winning match point against Frances Tiafoe in the 2023 US Open quarterfinals.
Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
It's been over 20 years since Roddick's US Open victory, and Shelton is the latest American hopeful to break the drought. Currently ranked 16th in the world, he is joined in the top 20 by fellow Americans Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe. As for his ambitions for the year ahead, Shelton remains tight-lipped.
"I feel that no matter what I say in the media, someone will always criticize whether I aimed too high or too low," he explains. "So I prefer to keep my goals based on results private between me and my team. I haven't set any specific targets yet. I don't want to limit my potential by setting a fixed goal. I just want to approach things one step at a time and assess where I am at the end of this year."
Shelton's career has taken an unconventional path so far. Despite coming from a family of professional tennis players, he initially pursued football as his primary passion. However, after witnessing his sister's success in tennis tournaments, he was inspired to take the sport more seriously and began his journey through the junior ranks.
Shelton won his first ATP Tour title at the Japan Open after defeating Aslan Karatsev in the final.
Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images
Despite the sport's tendency to embrace young champions such as Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu, Shelton opted to stay close to home during his early years. He chose to attend the University of Florida, where his father served as the coach, and ultimately achieved victory in the NCAA singles title in 2022.
Shelton acknowledges that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach and admits that his own path may not be flawless. However, he believes it has been effective for him. "I'm only 21 and I still feel quite new to this. I haven't been in the game for long and I don't feel worn out at all. Tennis demands a lot with the hectic schedule and travel, so I'm grateful that I started a bit later. I don't think my body has endured too much wear and tear yet."
Shelton dominates the court with his physical prowess as a six-foot-four left-hander, with his serve being his most formidable weapon, described as "a rocket shooting up off the ground" by University of Florida coach Scott Perelman. During the previous year's US Open, Shelton unleashed two serves at 149 miles per hour in his fourth-round match, coming just three miles per hour shy of the tournament record set by Roddick.
However, the athlete from Georgia is determined not to be perceived as a one-dimensional, serve-smashing machine. He is confident that he is approaching the Australian Open as a much more skilled player compared to the previous season.
Shelton prepares to hit a serve at last year's US Open.
On
He expressed, "I feel like I have improved tremendously compared to a year ago. My baseline game is much more stable and I am more confident in approaching the net. However, I believe that my movement has improved the most. I am much more agile and adept at playing from the corners, as well as moving quickly in all directions."
Shelton has been under the coaching of his father, Bryan, since last June. Despite being just 19 years old, Bryan, a former coach at Georgia Tech and Florida, has noticed that his son is "a different animal" than he was during his own playing days. Shelton has been enjoying their player-coach dynamic, stating, "There's no one else in the world who understands me better, knows what drives me, my strengths, and areas for improvement."
Both players are aiming for a strong performance at this year's Australian Open, starting on Sunday. They hope to surpass Shelton's impressive semifinal appearance at last year's US Open, where his attention-grabbing celebratory phone-hanging moment became iconic. Shelton described the dramatic action of slamming down the receiver as a way of showing that he's "dialed in." Djokovic even playfully imitated the move, whether in jest or not.
Djokovic mimics Shelton's celebration after their quarterfinal match at the US Open.
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
The US Open and the maiden title in Tokyo that followed rounded off an enormously successful first year as a pro for Shelton - and with success came marketability.
In March, it was announced that Shelton had entered into a sponsorship agreement with Swiss sportswear brand On, marking the company's debut in the world of tennis. Currently, the only other prominent athlete sporting On clothing is women's world No. 1, Iga ÅwiÄ tek.
The sponsorship deal led to a series of photoshoots and interviews for Shelton, in addition to his usual press obligations at tournaments. He describes life in the public eye as a new and challenging experience over the past year.
"I'm trying to adjust to the feeling of constantly being in the spotlight," Shelton says. "Becoming a professional athlete has come with unexpected challenges."
In summary, the last year has been a period of rapid growth for this promising male tennis player. Shelton has proven to be quick to adapt, and his success in major tournaments may be on the horizon.
CNNs Don Riddell contributed reporting to this feature.
