Ben Shelton Still Remains the Only Ray of Hope for America to Clinch a Slam, Claims British Tennis Legend

The tennis world is rich with legends from America. While there is always intense competition to find the next big winner, the country has been experiencing a drought lately. One name that sticks out as the hope for American tennis in the Grand Slam arena, according to tennis commentator John Lloyd: Ben Shelton.

Lloyd implied in a recent interview that given the current career trajectory he’s on, Ben Shelton might have a big impact on the Grand Slam scene. Lloyd is well known for his astute analysis and deep grasp of the game, so the tennis community takes note of his support of Shelton.

Llyod hopes for a Grand Slam from Ben Shelton

Born into a family of professional tennis players, Ben Shelton turned professional in 2022, forgoing his college degree. But within a very short period of time, he managed to appear in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last year. Later in the same year, he reached the semi-finals of the US Open. Seeing a high potential in him, John Llyod said, “There are so many American players that are so good, but I still yet I don’t see one other than possibly Shelton in the group that we’ve been talking about that has all the potential pieces to go to the extent of maybe winning a slam. I just don’t see it.” 

On the “Tennis Channel Inside-In” podcast, Llyod spoke about various top players like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Mónica Puig, Victoria Azarenka, and Jessica Pegula, among many others. But when it came to winning the next American Grand Slam winner, Llyod had his hopes on Shelton.

“I think the players that we’ve talked about they’re very, very good players now anybody top 10 around top 20. But to get to that to be winning slams is something; there’s something special about it, and I just don’t. I see weaknesses in their games, just not quite there,” he added.

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The last time Ben Shelton went about earning his Grand Slam at the US Open, he showed his immense dedication and skill on court. He faced off against none other than the tennis legend Novak Djokovic!

Ben Shelton’s pursuit of a Grand Slam but heartbreaking semifinal defeat

After defeating fellow countryman Frances Tiafoe in four sets, Ben Shelton advanced to his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal. There he played against Novak Djokovic. The American’s dreams of being the first native-born champion of the US Open men’s singles title were dashed when he lost the match 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(4). However, it did not break his morale, as he himself admitted after the match.

“The two weeks as a whole was a good run for me. A lot of positives to take away for the rest of the year and going into next year,” Shelton said about his journey up to the US Open last year. One thing is clear, though: Shelton will be the center of attention when he makes his Grand Slam debut. And it is something that the tennis world is eagerly anticipating.

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