Ever since his heroics in the Australian Open, Ben Shelton has quickly risen to prominence in the men’s circuit. After stunning the audience in Melbourne, the American tennis prodigy has once again made headlines for his phenomenal and deepest run at his home Grand Slam event as he reached the quarterfinals of the US Open. Given his recent major breakthroughs this season, Shelton has undoubtedly become a household figure in the tennis realm.
However, it has now come as a huge surprise to everyone that the former world No. 35 was not into tennis during his younger days. According to some recent revelations from his former coach, it was a ‘little jealousy’ that sparked the tennis passion in the ATP player.
How did Ben Shelton get inclined toward tennis?
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The 20-year-old player’s former volunteer assistant college coach recently made some major revelations prior to the All-American clash against Frances Tiafoe. In an interview with the ATP Tour, Perelman brought to light Ben Shelton’s passion for football and baseball during his childhood days. The former coach further revealed how the young American once swore to him that he would never play tennis.
However, the ATP player later decided to pick the racket when he got envious of his sister who got to volley alongside their father, Bryan before school.
Perelman said, “And Bryan and Emma were working out in the early morning before school, and Ben in my opinion, after a bit, got a little jealous.”
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Later, Shelton joined them in their on-court session, and that marked the beginning of one of the fastest-rising stars in the tennis realm.
During the back-and-forth conversation, Perelman also lavished praise on the on-court prowess of the tennis prodigy who has now come one step closer to his US Open dream.
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Shelton’s stellar run as he aims for Grand Slam glory
Just like all his American colleagues in the men’s circuit, the 20-year-old is also hoping to mark his first major triumph on his home soil. Shelton has so far performed brilliantly while showcasing his spectacular prowess in the initial rounds of the Grand Slam event in New York.
In order to secure a place in the quarterfinal finals of the US Open, the youngster has outclassed some of the big names including Tommy Paul and Dominic Thiem. However, Shelton has now been set up for a challenging match-up against his compatriot and the 10th seed, Frances Tiafoe.
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Do you think the American tennis prodigy can prevail in the intense US Open matchup against his compatriot ‘Bigfoe’? Let us know in the comments section.
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