‘The dream team is back together baby,’ Ben Shelton revealed while announcing his father as his full-time coach last year. The pair had an instant positive start as Shelton made it to the semifinal of the US Open. However, they have had contrasting fortunes this year. The American sensation has won just a solitary title this year in Houston. Additionally, he has had a string of early exits from tournaments and failed to perform consistently. As a result, a former ATP pro advised caution while urging Shelton to come back stronger.

In the ongoing Canadian Open, Shelton, who was the 11th seed, lost against the unseeded Alexei Popyrin in the second round. While Shelton was expected to dig deep in the tournament, it was a crushing blow for him ahead of the US Open. During the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast’s latest episode, Mark Petchey highlighted Shelton’s struggles and how he can improve upon them.

Petchey revealed, “The pressure is on him. He is one of the many lighthouses in men’s American tennis right now and obviously with the way he performs, he is getting awful lot of attention. But, if you look at other players, you will say that they are slightly more secured from the back of the court, they return a little bit better. He’s still got so much time on his hands to figure out.”

Further, Petchey went on to describe how Bryan Shelton can help his son rise in his tennis career. A sport played equally with physicality and mentality, Shelton would have to be at the top of his game if he were to have a chance at the US Open. Additionally, he will receive assistance from his father-turned-coach as they look to revive his season.

Father Bryan’s role is crucial as he would chalk out a path to enable his son to win tournaments. During an interview, Bryan Shelton revealed how he plans to take up the coaching duty of his son.

Ben Shelton’s father ready to put on the coaching hat

Shelton’s father was a former professional tennis player and later took up a coaching role with the Florida Gators. During his tenure there, he even coached his son as their partnership was successful right from the word go.

During a candid interview, Bryan Shelton said, “I think that along the way, I’ve put my coach hat on and to be able to do both still and for him to want me to come out there with him and help him in this area and share these experiences together, I think that speaks to the love that we have for one another and also the level of respect that we have for one another.”

The American sensation has been struggling with inconsistent form of late. While he made it to the semifinals of the Citi Open, Shelton was knocked out in the second round of the Canadian Open. What looks to be seen now is whether Shelton can achieve some consistency in his form going into the US Open.