Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci was recently in an ES Fancast exclusive interview where he talked about how Ben Shelton, one of the young players in the ATP Tour, carries himself with confidence even though he is fairly new. Such confidence at such an early stage is often perceived as something disrespectful. However, viewing things from a different perspective, Macci feels that Shelton has great potential.
Rick Macci equates Shelton’s confidence to his attitude of having fun while playing, which also pays him off well. In fact, Macci also compared him to another strong player from the past, Andy Roddick.
Rick Macci compares Ben Shelton’s attitude with Andy Roddick
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As Rick Macci sat down to have an exclusive interview for the ES Fancast, he addressed a lot of questions about the players he has coached so far and also some other players on tour. One of the topics that came up was Shelton’s amazing attitude towards the game and how it is different from other players.
Macci shared how he does not find his attitude disrespectful at all. In fact, he finds it refreshing and even compared it to Andy Roddick. He shared, “He is a feisty guy. He is kind of like Roddick in that regard. He is a great competitor; he wears his emotions on his sleeve. That’s what makes him hip. Now if people don’t like that, I get it but it’s like next gen. When you’re all about the competition and you are wired like that, you handle pressure better. He is out there just having fun.”
According to Macci, the confidence and the positivity Ben Shelton brings to the same is eerily similar to what Roddick brought in. And we are sure that is what he is going to bring in at the Brisbane International in 2024 as well.
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Ben Shelton to join other ATP stars at the Brisbane International
Brisbane International is set to take place in the first week of 2024 in Australia. A lot of tennis players are going to be a part of it including Ben Shelton. While talking about participating in Brisbane, Shelton shared how he is thrilled to be playing at the tournament for the first time in 2024.
He also added that the last time he went to Australia, it was a great experience for him. He shared how his fans were very welcoming and now, he is once again looking forward to the same experience, adding that he loves to play in front of the local fans and explore the town.
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Ben Shelton also revealed his wish to include some time for sightseeing during the tournament while he is there. Will Ben Shelton’s fun attitude help him perform in the upcoming season? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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