Despite his rapid rise in the ATP rankings, American tennis player Ben Shelton remains focused on improvement. The 21-year-old Shelton has experienced a dramatic surge up the pro tennis ladder in 2023. Few expected him to crack the Top 100, let alone the Top 20, so quickly. However, Shelton has earned his spot through consistently powerful performances, including a miracle run to the US Open semifinals where he crumbled against Novak Djokovic.

These types of meteoric ranking rises happen occasionally in tennis when a less-known player like Shelton suddenly strings together a series of high-level results. We’ve witnessed similar breakthroughs from all the top players when they were starting out. The same formula applies to Shelton too. Driven by the lofty goals he revealed recently, is he possibly the next star of the circuit?

Ben Shelton and his rising charm

Between reaching the second week of the Australian Open and his US Open semifinal run, he quickly amassed enough points to enter the Top 20. But in a recent ATP Radio interview, Shelton explained he tries not to think about rankings. Instead, he remains focused on incrementally improving his game.

He goes on to say, “Being in the top 20 is something new for me.. I think whenever I try to put a number that I’m trying to reach, it’s almost like putting a ceiling on myself or a limit. I don’t know where I want to be in the rankings. I’m not thinking about that as much. A goal for me is showing up to tournaments & competing for titles. So if I can get to the place where week in, week out I’m in the running for winning titles, that’s something that I’ll be pleased with.”

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Despite his rapid surge into the elite top tier of men’s tennis this year, Shelton does not set specific ranking goals or targets. In a mature approach, Shelton focuses on steadily improving his game rather than obsessing over his ranking number. This delimited perspective has definitely boosted him through his arc of growth.

Shelton’s maturity has taken him to greater heights

Shelton’s grounded mentality shows maturity beyond his years. Rather than getting caught up in his rapid results, the wise young star stays patiently dedicated to development. Shelton’s attitude suggests his newly earned Top 20 status is only the beginning of his tennis journey.

In a recent interview, he reiterated, “I try to compartmentalize and not think about those things as much. Obviously, being in the Top 20 is something that’s new to me. I’m really looking forward to being able to moving forward have an impact and continue to improve and make my mark again.”

At just 21 years old, Shelton has already shown huge potential by breaking into the Top 20. But rather than ranking accomplishments, he cares most about developing his skills through match experience against the world’s best. Shelton’s priority is getting better each tournament, not chasing a particular ranking digit.

With three more months left in 2022, Shelton has ample opportunity to rise even further in the 2024 season if he maintains his current trajectory. While he avoids public ranking proclamations, Shelton’s mindset and talent suggest he could realistically secure a Top 15 or even Top 10 spot as the shocking breakout star of the 2023 ATP Tour season.

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