Insane fitness level! Ben Shelton versus Lorenzo Sonego was a show of pure entertainment. The American managed to seal the deal against the Italian in the QF by 6-4,7-5,4-6,7-6(4), but during the match, we saw some scintillating moments that nearly put all the fans inside the Rod Laver Arena on the edge of their seats. For example, during the second set, we saw Lorenzo Sonego producing a true masterpiece against Ben Shelton. The American was left stunned when Songeo fought off a break point with a diving drop volley that spun back onto his side of the net. Then in the fourth set, we saw Ben Shelton surprising the fans with his insane fitness levels.

During the fourth set, we saw Shelton falling down on the floor while hitting a shot. However, just a few moments later, he was seen quickly jumping back on his fit and doing some pushups before returning to the match. The commentators were heard saying, “Can you believe it?” after seeing Shelton do this shortly after flying into the advertisement board.

What’s the secret to Ben Shelton’s incredible athleticism? Well, this 22-year-old tennis star loved playing multiple sports during his childhood days. Football was his first and foremost love. This lefty quarterback’s love for football was previously highlighted by his father, Bryan Shelton when he said, “I kind of accepted at an early age that tennis probably wasn’t going to be his thing. I thought of team sports. He’s way more social than I was at that stage. I was more of an introvert and he’s a total extrovert. He’s loud and outgoing and has just so much energy.” So, seeing him convert a nasty fall with an energetic fitness flex is perhaps not a big surprise for those who know this young lad.

Apart from showing his incredible fitness levels, Ben Shelton‘s grit to fight back after losing the third set was truly praiseworthy. He has now reached his second Grand Slam SF. The first one came at the 2023 US Open! With this win, he has now also joined Rafael Nadal in an elite group. Shelton’s latest win means that since 1988, he has now become just the second left-handed player since Rafael Nadal to reach the SF of both hard-court Grand Slams. What did Shelton say after this emphatic victory in the QF?

Ben Shelton has already fastened his seatbelts for an epic SF clash at the 2025 AO

With relentless athleticism and composure, just a few days ago, we saw Ben Shelton cementing his status as the youngest American to reach two AO QFs since Andy Roddick. However, Roddick had previously picked Gael Monfils in the fourth-round match against Ben Shelton. After Shelton’s win against the Frenchman, we saw Roddick quickly admitting his mistake and heaping praise on his compatriot.

He said, “He came on tour, and he was this raw athletic thing that you could tell, didn’t have many reps at the highest level. It’s been on-the-job training. Props to him for really committing and getting better over time.” Further reflecting on his initial prediction, Andy Roddick admitted, “I got that one wrong; I kinda picked the other way.” Shelton loves proving his doubters wrong, isn’t it?

Recently, after finishing his match against Lorenzo Sonego he was sharing some interesting thoughts about his preparations for the mega SF battle Friday. At first, he started his speech by heaping praise on the Italian. He said, “I feel relieved right now, shoutout to Lorenzo Sonego because that was some ridiculous tennis. I’m just really happy to be through, to get my first win on Rod Laver Arena. Thanks everybody for coming out, it was one of my favorite matches of my career.“

After that, he went on to add a few lines about what he is expecting from the Aussie crowd during his SF match. Either Jannik Sinner or Alex de Minaur will be his opponent in the SF and speaking on that he added, “Well, I mean, if it’s the home favorite, Alex de Minaur, 100 percent you guys can boo me, you can throw stuff at my head. I understand, home guy.”

What if he faces the defending champion, Jannik Sinner? “If it’s the No. 1 in the world, it’ll probably be the same. I’m looking forward to it. I know I got a few people in the crowd who are going to be pulling for me too,” said Ben Shelton. Jannik Sinner is currently taking on Alex de Minaur at the Rod Laver Arena and guess what? He has already won the first set and got off to a flying start in the second as well. Sinner has beaten Shelton four times in their five meetings. It’ll be interesting to see who gets the edge if they meet for the sixth time in their careers. Do you think Shelton can make it to the final at the 2025 AO?