Only last year he decided to turn professional and play abroad for the first time, tonight US Open revelation Ben Shelton will face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. A hopeless mission? The 20-year-old American firmly believes in a stunt, thanks to his five weapons.
Weapon 1: An iron save
Now that his compatriot John Isner has retired from tennis, Ben Shelton can call himself the professional with the hardest serve on the circuit. And that for a 20-year-old.
The 1.93 meter tall American already achieved serves of just under 240 km per hour at the US Open. His cannonballs already earned him 76 aces at the US Open. “But he also hit 29 double faults,” explains tennis commentator Dirk Gerlo.
Shelton owes his iron serve to his past as an American football player. Like many American children at a young age, he first dreamed of a career as a quarterback.
“As a result, he developed a lot of strength in his left shoulder at a young age. He now also uses that in his serve,” says Gerlo. “He throws his ball a little further for his serve and has enormous jumping power.”
And that pays off, as you can see in the video below.
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Weapon 2: good genes
American football? Not exactly the choice you would expect at the home of the Shelton family. Tennis was the obvious choice.
Shelton’s father Bryan reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 1994. And his mother Lisa also played tennis at a high level as a junior.
But perhaps Ben Shelton has to look up to his uncle Todd Witsken the most for his semi-final against Djokovic, who unfortunately died of brain cancer at the age of 40. Witsken managed to eliminate five-time US Open champion Jimmy Connors at Flushing Meadows in 1986.
“Yet Shelton only started thorough tennis training at the age of 11,” says Gerlo. “He had good genes, but he didn’t really stand out among the juniors. Only last year did he break through as tennis champion of the NCAA, the American college competition.”
“At the time, he was just in the top 600 of the world rankings. Only then did he decide to become a professional. This was followed by a crazy autumn, in which he climbed to the top 100. In January, he was allowed to participate in the Australian Open for the first time. , where he immediately reached the quarter-finals.”
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Weapon 3: Nadal’s sparring partner
Ben Shelton is sometimes still “an unguided projectile”, says Dirk Gerlo, but the quality shines through. “He has a lot of power and is incredibly fast. He plays very offensively, likes to come to the net and has an amazing forehand with his left.”
Rafael Nadal also noticed that. It was not without reason that the Spanish tennis legend turned to the American for the Australian Open in his search for a sparring partner.
Shelton doesn’t just stand out with his powerful play either. “He is incredibly expressive on the court,” said Gerlo. “He expresses his emotions in a positive way. He laughs a lot on the court. He is a real showman who enjoys entertaining the audience.”
Weapon 4: his entourage
Ben Shelton has surrounded himself with loads of experience to guide his storming of the tennis top.
His father, himself a tennis coach with the Florida Gators, was initially reluctant to collaborate with his son. “It was too much walking on eggshells,” says Dirk Gerlo.
Ben Shelton placed his fate in the hands of Dean Goldfine, who has worked with Xavier Malisse and Andy Roddick, among others. Since the grass season his father took over.
His father/coach’s starting point: not too much video analysis, not too many drills, just playing points. Or to put it in the words of Bryan Shelton: “My son is a Labrador Retriever: throw him a ball and he’ll run after it.”
His girlfriend has taught him well that Ben Shelton has to work hard to reach the top. She knows what she is talking about, because his lover is none other than heptathlete Anna Hall, good for silver at the World Championships in Budapest and perhaps the great challenger of Nafi Thiam in Paris.
“She’s a better athlete than I am,” Shelton admitted. “She knows what it takes to be a top athlete. We can push each other.”
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Weapon 5: the power of surprise
Everything is still new for Ben Shelton. The Australian Open at the beginning of this year was only his very first tournament abroad. “Unlike many young people who already play junior grand slams, he has always stayed in the US,” says Gerlo.
“But most pros only break into the top 100 at the age of 24. Ben Shelton is only 20 and therefore has a huge lead. Moreover, he still has a lot of room for growth.”
His results in recent months do not seem to give him much of a chance against 23-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. In the 18 ATP tournaments between January and September, he never advanced beyond a second round.
“But you have to put that into context,” says Gerlo. “He was very unlucky with his draws, because he had to play against Ruud, Rune, Musetti, Tsitsipas, Alcaraz, Eubanks… Moreover, he had never played on grass or clay.”
Can Shelton surprise against Djokovic? The young American himself believes in a stunt. “Djokovic doesn’t know what will happen to him,” he said confidently.
“The power of surprise? Djokovic must have prepared very well,” Gerlo concludes. “It could be a very good match.”
2023-09-08 10:33:46
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