“This is the greatest moment on the tennis courts of my life…“ Ben Shelton thought to himself during a break in the fourth set of his 2023 US Open quarterfinal match. His opponent at the time was the same rival that he is going to face in the third round in New York this season—Frances Tiafoe! The then tense five-set victory of Shelton made him the youngest semifinalist (20) of the men’s singles US Open since 1992. What will be the outcome this time? Not to fret, as the American’s high confidence ahead of his game might be hinting at his calculated finesse!

The 21-year-old from Atlanta, Shelton’s straight-set victory against Roberto Bautista Agut, propels him to the next round against Tiafoe, a rival against whom he has won twice! Naturally, last year’s semifinalist was beaming with optimism when he appeared for a post-match interview with the US Open. When asked about how he relates to Tiafoe, Shelton, who previously said he is looking forward to the upcoming match, appreciated Tiafoe’s goofiness off-court and how he brings out the “clown side” of Shelton as well while also keeping his own competitive spirit alive when playing a match. 

Confirming how their relationship has “not changed” after last year, the former World No. 13 praised Tiafoe’s improved performance in the latter half of the season. But when it comes to playing against him on the tennis courts, Shelton did not mince his words when the interviewer said, “Compare yourself as a player now to the player that Frances played a year ago,” and asked him how he would analyze his performance now.

Shelton, who won against Tiafoe in the ATP Houston final round earlier this season, pinpointed, “I think I am a more intelligent player. I think I am a better mover. I hit my backhand really well here last year.“

Shelton, who became the youngest American No. 1 player in April (since Andy Roddick) and earned his first clay court title in the Open Era this year, further added, “I am a better first serve returner this year. Last year I returned here extremely well in the second serve but those are all areas that I have made strides in. When I say I am a little bit more of an intelligent player. I think I am getting through my service games this year without having to light up the radar gun to do it.“

With his big serves at play, the left-handed player earned his career’s best rank (No. 13) this season. Therefore, the Cincinnati Masters quarterfinalist might not be worried that much about his cerebral approach and refined skills against Tiafoe. On the other side, the 26-year-old player has also made his opinions clear ahead of their matchup!

Frances Tiafoe on Ben Shelton’s “energetic” presence on-court

While Shelton was busy in his second round clash, Tiafoe was making sure to take down Alexander Shevchenko before the latter’s mid-match retirement. Following the clash, Tiafoe reflected on his upcoming match, calling it “tough” to deal with! “But I’m super excited,“ he said. Furthermore, he analyzed Ben Shelton’s impressive serves and deadly left handed playing, mentioning it to be one of the great ones on the tour.

“Obviously, you know, he’s very much like me in how excited and energetic he is on the court and has such a big game and big shots and serves big and gets the crowd going,” Tiafoe stated. The Cincinnati Masters runner-up is heading for the first Grand Slam of his career this season. So,get ready for an electrifying showdown as both Ben Shelton and Tiafoe buckle up for a thrilling encounter for the second time this season!