Ben Shelton’s Age May Surprise Fans as American Tennis Star Chases US Open History
· Yahoo Sports
Ben Shelton is 23 years old as he prepares for the biggest match of his professional tennis career.
Shelton, born October 9, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia, advanced to his first Grand Slam final with a four-set win over fellow American Frances Tiafoe at the US Open. He will turn 24 less than a month after the tournament.
Visit sports24.club for more information.
The American now has a chance to accomplish something that hasn’t happened since he was an infant. Andy Roddick was the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title when he captured the 2003 US Open. Shelton was 11 months old then.
After beating Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, Shelton defeated Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in front of nearly 24,000 fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach Sunday’s final against top-seeded Alexander Zverev.
“I’m going for it here, and I’m going to leave it all on the court,” Shelton told the crowd after the semifinal victory.
Ben Shelton Comes From a Family Filled With Tennis Players
View this post on Instagram
Shelton’s arrival on one of tennis’ biggest stages follows a family tradition that stretches across both sides of his family.
His father, Bryan Shelton, played professionally for nine seasons on the ATP Tour before retiring following the 1997 US Open. His mother, Lisa Witsken Shelton, was a highly ranked junior player.
His late uncle Todd Witsken also played professionally, reaching No. 43 in singles and No. 4 in doubles. Witsken was a three-time All-American at the University of Southern California.
Shelton’s sister, Emma Shelton, continued the family tradition by playing college tennis at the University of Florida.
“He’s got some good blood running through him, that’s for sure,” Bryan once said of his son’s athletic background.
Shelton was born in Atlanta while Bryan coached the Georgia Tech women’s tennis team. The family later moved to Gainesville, Florida, after Bryan became the Florida Gators men’s tennis coach.
The U.S. Open Finalist Didn’t Always Plan to Follow His Parents Into Tennis
View this post on Instagram
Despite growing up surrounded by the sport, Shelton did not immediately envision himself becoming a professional tennis player.
He initially preferred football and did not begin playing tennis regularly until he was 11 years old.
“This was the same kid who said that ‘tennis will not be my sport’ when he was younger,” Bryan told The New York Times in 2022. “He definitely came to it on his own.”
Once Shelton committed to tennis, his father’s coaching experience became an important resource.
“I saw that my dad was a college coach and knew a lot about the game,” Shelton said. “My chances of going far in the sport and having that resource was definitely going to be helpful.”
Shelton eventually played for his father at Florida. He helped the Gators win the national championship as a freshman in 2021 before capturing the individual NCAA singles championship the following spring.
Bryan stepped down from college coaching in June 2023 to become his son’s full-time coach.
Ben Shelton Has Chance to End 23-Year American Grand Slam Drought
View this post on Instagram
Shelton’s latest US Open run has taken his career to another level.
Before beating Tiafoe, Shelton knocked off Alcaraz in a late-night quarterfinal. His victory over Tiafoe then gave him his first appearance in a major final.
The semifinal carried additional meaning because of Shelton’s relationship with Tiafoe, whom he considers a “big brother.” The two embraced before Shelton celebrated his victory.
“This is both of our favorite tournament in the world, our favorite court in the world,” Shelton said afterward.
Only two American men have reached a Grand Slam singles final since Roddick’s 2003 US Open championship. Shelton now gets his opportunity to end that 23-year title drought when he faces Zverev, the reigning French Open champion, on Sunday.
Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Ben Shelton’s Age May Surprise Fans as American Tennis Star Chases US Open History appeared first on HEAVY.