The world of tennis witnesses stories of several players entering as amateurs and reaching the top of the game. One such story that has been making highlights recently is the journey of Ben Shelton, a rising American tennis star. This season presented a remarkable turn of events for Ben, and it all started with his participation in the 2023 Australian Open. But as the American gun himself reports himself, one particular moment remains etched in his memory.
Ben Shelton’s performance on the tennis court has been nothing less than remarkable. Being a young player who has been setting an example for young enthusiasts, his performance this year brought several achievements to his end. Although the US Open witnessed his career-high potential, his ignorance of the event at a recent podcast shocked the fans.
Ben Shelton shares views about his Australian Open experience
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Ben Shelton served fans with a complete pack of action this season. Starting right from the Australian Open, he kept on facing challenges against big players and overcame most of them. It was his first appearance in Melbourne this year, and he undoubtedly made it count. But the event that shocked the fans happened recently when the 21-year-old swiftly ignored his run at the US Open, despite playing his best tennis in the tour there.
Caught in a conversation at the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, the young American boasted about the tough challenge that Australia brought to him. He mentioned, “I think the biggest highlight for me this year was playing in the Australian Open for the first time and having to play an Australian guy in front of a big crowd that was against me and handling my nerves well.”
His words, targeted facing the Australian tennis player Alexei Popyrin, acted as a clear snub of his career-best result at the US Open 2023. But the comments made by newest young kid on the block reflected his maturity; it was his experience dealing with the raucous crowd at the Slam down under that helped him manage his nervousness at his incredible home Slam.
American rising star Ben Shelton’s performance at the US Open
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While Ben gave much attention and praise to the challenges that the Australian Open and its crowds presented to him, the US Open chucked even stronger opponents against him. Maintaining a steady momentum right from the beginning, the 21-year-old made his way to the semi-finals where he stood face-to-face with the legendary tennis player Novak Djokovic. This indeed was a big achievement for a young player like Ben and also gave a high push to his overall rankings.
Ben Shelton on Novak Djokovic doing his phone celebration at US Open:
“I didn’t see it until after the match. I don’t like when I’m on social media and I see people telling me how I can or can’t celebrate. If you win the match you deserve to do whatever you want. As a kid… pic.twitter.com/Xj8dDpocvH
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 8, 2023
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However, Ben’s thoughts on the Australian Open challenge were no doubt a subjective opinion that may seem different from the results and the scoreboard. As the legend gave a snub to the US Open this year, his form is being appreciated by tennis fans from all around the world. Shelton remains one to watch in the 2024 season.
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