A majority of tennis analysts would probably not count luck as one of the aspects behind the rise or decline of a player. However, having a look at Ben Shelton‘s US Open 2024 main draws would definitely make them reconsider. The American ATP star had a fair share of ups and downs throughout the ongoing season. While he was determined to make things work at the home grand slam event, the draws emerged as a big disappointment.

Shelton’s Cincinnati Masters campaign gave new hope to American fans. While discussions were revolving around his chances to rise back up as a “dark horse” in the upcoming event, the recently released draws served as a major hit to the surging expectations. The American is scheduled to begin his campaign with an opening-round match against Dominic Thiem. The former US Open champion boasts a commendable record of making it to the higher rounds at major events and, therefore, would be a hard nut to crack for the young American.

Even if Shelton manages to generate a head start by taking down Thiem, he still has no chance to catch a breath. The second round could possibly be a point where fans could be relaxed, as either Luca Nardi or Roberto Bautista Agut are expected to be matched against him. Things are highly likely to take a terrible, yet entertaining, turn in the third round, as Shelton could be in an all-American showdown against Frances Tiafoe.

Although the 26-year-old faced his fair share of disappointments, his rapid rise at the Cincinnati Masters made him a strong contender. He managed to present a dominant form, making it to the finals, where Jannik Sinner took him down to lift the trophy.

Entertainment levels are expected to take a leap if the young American manages to secure a spot in the pre-quarters. Novak Djokovic, the tennis great who recently added an Olympic gold medal to his heavy portfolio, is likely to cross paths with Shelton. While it was the Serb who marked an end to his US Open 2023 campaign, this one will be a rematch between the two elements of a widely discussed controversy.

Weather as a determining factor of Ben Shelton’s US Open form

Ben Shelton moved past from a tough match at the Cincinnati Open where he managed to overcome both windy conditions and a slow start to secure his spot in the quarter-finals. The 12th-seeded American was seen struggling at the start where he committed 18 unforced errors as he adjusted to the pace of Hungarian Fabian Marozsan’s heavy shots.

“It was a really rough start of the match, pretty windy,” Shelton admitted. Despite the challenges, Shelton took control in the second set, as he dominated with his first serve and gave just two points behind it. He secured the final victory 6-4, 6-3 and concluded the match with a net-cord winner, for which he had to apologize to Marozsan at the net.

With this win, Shelton notched his 30th match victory of the season, a career-best, and advanced to his second ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, where he unluckily faced defeat against Alexander Zverev. These events made it clear that weather could again play a crucial role in Shelton’s performance, just as it did in Cincinnati. Although he managed to adjust in Cincinnati, the unpredictable conditions might continue to hinder his comfort levels at the US Open.