Ben Shelton was ranked outside the top 500 in May 2022. The US player came to the fore when he beat Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud in Cincinnati in August 2022. He won three Challenger titles in November 2022 to secure a spot in the Australian Open.
Shelton climbed to world number 35 in the ATP Ranking after reaching the quarter final of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career at the Australian Open last January. The former Florida Gator athlete became the first US player to advance to a Grand Slam quarter final since Andy Roddick at the 2002 US Open.
At the US Open Shelton beat his compatriots Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe to advance to his first Grand Slam semifinal in his fifth appearance at a Majors tournament before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in three sets.
Shelton reached the quarter finals of a Masters 1000 for the first time at the Shanghai Rolex Masters beating Jannik Sinner, achieving the biggest win of his career. Shelton won his first ATP title in Tokyo beating Aslan Karatsev in the final and helped Team World win its second straight Laver Cup title in Vancouver.
Shelton inherited his passion for tennis from his father Bryan Shelton, a former professional tennis player and Florida Gators men’s tennis coach. His mother Lisa Witsken Shelton was a highly-ranked junior tennis player. His uncle Todd Witsken was a professional tennis player. His sister Emma played college tennis at Florida.
“I saw my sister. She was getting to play all the tournaments travelling to all these different places. I was like: ‘She can get out of school to play sports, travel, and stay in hotels”, recalls Shelton to website On-Running.
Shelton was born in Atlanta (Georgia), as his father was the coach of the Georgia Tech’s women’s tennis team. Shelton’s passion for tennis began from his desire to study less and play more.
“When I started playing tennis, I did not like that much. Before tennis my first love was American Football”.
Shelton made his first trip outside the United States last January to play the Australian Open.
“I think one of biggest surprises for me is how huge tennis is overseas. It’s not even one of the top three top sports in the United States. The Australian people really started to cheer for me as one of their own as I went deeper and deeper in the tournament. It’s crazy. I am so far from home, but people know how I am”, said Shelton.
Shelton looks back the times when he played tennis in college.
“Playing tennis in college felt like a different game. It’s the only time in your life that you have a long-term team in tennis. It’s an individual sport and can be a lonely sport, but in college I had 10 or 11 teammates that were my best friends. I keep in touch with them all, but now I have three or four peole that I am really close with. I don’t get to see them all the time, but it makes it more fun when I do. Often we just hang out at my apartment or go to the movie theater because it does not take any energy. I love movie theater slushes and popcorn. I was not a typical college student. I tried to keep partying to a minimum. Every once in a while I like to go out, see people and do different things, but on a normal day, I am just fine staying inside. I don’t like going to overcrowded, loud places. I have never been to a concert in my life”.
Shelton is aggressive on the court, but he is humble and shy at times.
“I know I am not perfect. I have flaws and a lot to improve, but that’s what keeps me working. I can’t do great things in this things in this game if I don’t work as hard, or harder than everyone out there. I am a copetitor. I want to win every match. I want to destroy whoever is on the other side of the net”, said Shelton.
