Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. Today, I’m super excited to dive into a fascinating story about one of the most promising young players on the ATP tour—Ben Shelton.
Ben Shelton has been making waves in the tennis world with his aggressive playing style and explosive serve. The young American ace has all the weapons that make a difference in men’s tennis, starting with an excellent serve and forehand. He’s very aggressive from the baseline and his accelerations are able to put top players in difficulty, although he still needs to work on consistency to be a factor in all tournaments of the season.
Ben Shelton’s rise to prominence has not gone unnoticed. In a recent interview with Tennis Channel, former ATP star Greg Rusedski praised Shelton for his progress: “I think he has had a great year. His dad has done a great job with his whole team of getting a little bit more consistent in 2024. It’s just getting a little bit more solid on returns, keep improving that backhand side and just learning how to play the bigger moments and using that energy. He has that wonderful youthful spirit of exuberance, I love the way he serves and volleys and mixes it up.”
Rusedski also highlighted that Shelton needs to improve on slower surfaces where his style of play is less effective. However, if he continues to work hard and improve, Shelton could be the third wheel in the fight between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. It’s no coincidence that Ben already defeated world number 1 Sinner in the Masters 1000 in Shanghai last year, playing devastating tennis after losing the first set. Some time ago, Alcaraz confided that Shelton has a power out of the ordinary and will definitely be one of the protagonists of the ATP tour in the next 10-15 years.
Shelton’s season has been quite remarkable so far. He won his second title during the spring and made his entry into the Top 15 for the first time in his young career. This year is not over yet; Ben will represent the US at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga later this month. He will be joined by other American tennis stars like Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Rajeev Ram, and Austin Krajicek.
Ben Shelton’s potential is not just about his current achievements but also about his ability to excel on certain surfaces. The Grand Slam tournaments that fit Ben’s style are definitely the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open. His serve can really make a difference on the grass of Church Road, as well as his ability to approach the net. In New York—instead—the noisy crowd could allow Shelton to get excited and play beyond his possibilities. The former number 13 is a very instinctive player, able to play devastating tennis at times of particular confidence.
In the latest edition of the ‘Inside-In Podcast’, top analyst Patrick McEnroe spoke about Shelton and American tennis: “I’d like to say there’s a younger American. I’ve always been high on Korda but he just seems a little bit fragile physically. He can’t quite stay healthy enough to be a factor in a big tournament. Then you’ve got Fritz who’s the most consistent American guy. I think a lot of things have to break right for Fritz to win a Major but he got to the US Open final, that was a hell of an effort. I think Ben Shelton’s got the most upside and even watching him at the Laver Cup, which I’ve been lucky to do for the last two years. Watching him play that match with Carlitos Alcaraz, he lost in straight sets but the first 7-8 games, that was like tennis in a different stratosphere. He couldn’t do it for two sets and obviously to be able to do it over five sets is another story, but he did it for eight games. So if he can do it for eight games and match Alcaraz in the athleticism department and the shotmaking department then maybe he is the guy.”
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