“Like father, like son.” For Bryan Shelton, these words carry a profound sense of pride and joy. As a former American tennis player, Bryan once reveled in the glory of achieving remarkable feats on the prestigious grass courts of Wimbledon. Now, years later, he watches with a full heart as his son, Ben Shelton, mirrors those achievements, stepping into the same storied arenas and making his mark.

It was 1994. An in-form Bryan Shelton was taking on his opponents aggressively at the All-England Club as he handsomely advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon. In doing so, he had defeated the former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich in the first round. Fast forward to 2024, his son Ben Shelton has also matched the same legacy as he prepares to face the World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the round of 16. Meanwhile, the Shelton family is all proud of Ben’s remarkable achievement.

Taking to her Instagram Story on Sunday, Ben Shelton’s sister Emma shared a post by the Tennis Channel that congratulated Shelton for his remarkable win over Denis Shapovalov in the third round. Captioning the post, Emma, a WTA player in the making, wrote, “let’s goooooo 🚀.” She shared yet another post on the official page of the US Open that compared the young Shelton with his father. Emma showered her love on the post with “❤️❤️❤️.” Shelton’s achievement was celebrated with grandeur by his parents as well.

Soon after the World No. 14 defeated his Canadian counterpart 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, his parents were seen exchanging moments of love. Bryan and Lisa were spotted kissing each other out of excitement at this huge moment in Ben’s career. The 21-year-old too, expressed heart-warming emotions after matching his father’s feat. Speaking after the victory, Ben remarked on matching his father’s record and said, “We’re back big dog.” The 2022 NCAA Singles Champion is now gearing up for yet another thrilling encounter as he continues to remain ‘fearless.’

‘I am addicted to…’ Ben Shelton’s fearless remark ahead of his match against World No. 1

Despite facing major scares in Wimbledon this year, Ben Shelton is poised to bring glory home. He was seen in a fearless demeanor after his third-round clash and was motivated to face the World No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Court 1 on Sunday. 

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Shelton acknowledged the challenges he might face against the mighty Italian. “He’s one of the guys who has had the most success on tour so far this year as the World No. 1,” Shelton said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me, a great challenge and test — the biggest challenge in tennis playing the top-ranked player in the world. However, he did not fail to make a spontaneous remark about his own capabilities. “Maybe I am addicted to playing on the big stages.”

With a 2-1 lead over the American, it will be interesting to see how effectively the Italian dynamo can put challenges ahead of him. While only time will tell the fate of the match, what remains certain is an intense showdown at the All-England Club!