Ben Shelton encountered humorous criticism from Coco Gauff for his newly discovered love of pink during a recent photoshoot for GQ Hype in the wake of his outstanding performance at the 2023 US Open.
The pink rib knit polo sweater stole the show and won the hearts of the tennis world despite being displayed alongside a variety of casual outfits. Shelton continues to draw attention with his dress choices, which give his budding tennis legacy a colorful tint as he savors this well-earned moment of victory.
Even during the US Open, 20-year-old Ben Shelton wore pink-themed clothing recently. He urged his fans in a lighthearted manner not to draw analogies to the recently released film “Barbie,” alluding to it even if he hasn’t had a chance to see it yet.
Shelton joked “New look. Better not see no Barbie comments,” an article from sportskeeda.com shared.
Ben Shelton on Coco Gauff, “She sometimes plays tricks on me.”
Tennis player Coco Gauff and rising talent Ben Shelton, both 20 years old, revealed their close bond in a recent GQ interview. Despite Shelton’s inexperience on the tour, the US Open winner jokingly jabs him about it.
Shelton compared their bond to that of a sibling and sister, pointing out Gauff’s four years on the professional tour as opposed to his new debut the previous year. The tennis community is enriched by this dynamic duo’s sibling-like closeness, which extends beyond the court.
“So she messes with me sometimes,” he said. “She’ll be like, ‘Hey, what’s up, rookie? How’s the year going so far?’” an article from sportskeeda.com shared.
Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton are two American tennis phenoms who are dominating the game. Gauff’s North American hardcourt season saw her win her first WTA 1000 and Grand Slam titles, boosting her to a career-best World No. 3, while Shelton’s career soared to World No. 19 after reaching the US Open quarterfinals. Gauff was able to retake the top rank thanks to her skill in doubles. The tennis community looks forward to their steady ascent.
Ahead of their much-anticipated all-African-American clash, Tiafoe and Shelton’s friendship came to light as Gauff revealed in her post-match press conference that the two have friendly banter behind the scenes.
On fashion and friendship
Instead of becoming rivals and intimidating each other through power plays, the two youngsters preferred to make light of things by engaging in private talks and friendly banter.
Gauff, who is good friends with the two players, narrates that she caught them in the middle of a trash talk in the cooldown/warmup area.
Coco Gauff:
“After my match, Ben and Frances were in the cooldown area, or warmup area, and it was really just cool to see us all there,” Gauff said. “Obviously the conversation, they already started the trash talk. I’m indifferent who wins, but I did say that Frances is a little bit upset because I said Ben had the better outfit than him.”
Tiafoe was then asked to comment about this, to which he replied something hilarious that caused the whole room to laugh.
Frances Tiafoe:
“Yeah, she’s all loving Ben’s light-skin energy, I guess (smiling). I think my outfit is much better, you know what I mean?”
In addition, Shelton said he was certain that there would be “a little chip back and forth” during the contest. He went on to recount another hilarious interaction they had where Tiafoe said that he looked much better with a sleeveless shirt.
Ben Shelton:
“There’s a million things Frances can do to try to throw me off. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does. I’m sure there [will] be a little chirp back and forth once or twice during the match. [He busts me about] everything. There’s not a time that he walks by me in the locker room and doesn’t say something [like], ‘Man, I’m looking way better than you in this sleeveless shirt. You got to work on those shoulders, buddy.’ We always have some banter. All friendly stuff.”
“We’re going to compete hard to make the semifinals of a slam, that’s for sure. I’m 100 per cent sure that we’re still going to be friends.”
Tennis Talk
In a separate conference, the two also talked about their upcoming match in the last eight and how their strategies would go throughout the game:
Frances Tiafoe:
“Ben has wanted to play me at the Open for a long time. He’s an extremely loud player, hits the ball big, serves huge, [149 mph on Sunday against Tommy Paul] pretty much throwing his whole arm at that thing. He’s so pumped up, comes to the net, great volleys, really athletic, fun to watch. He’s yelling the loudest ‘C’mon!’ from the first point till the last. I’m just going to have to tame him down, try to be the vet and get the win.” , Tiafoe said.
“I’m going to try to make him play a lot of balls, make it a really tough night for him. We’ll see. I like playing lefties. Not gonna lay out all the anecdotes right here.”
Ben Shelton:
“It’s not like I’m in this craze all the time. Maybe I’ll take the first three to five seconds after a point to be emotional, and then I try to shut it down, shut my mouth, breathe through my nose, get my heart rate down and be ready for the next point.”
“I love those pressure moments, [saving break points]. That’s when I hit my best serves, come up with my plus-one plays or the volleys. I’m not scared of them at all.”
The pressure is on
With so much attention the match has gained lately, as it involves two people of color competing against each other, the pressure is definitely on for Tiafoe and Shelton. Nevertheless, the two refused to get the media into their heads. Tiafoe said that although this match is monumental, in the bigger picture, it’s tennis that’s going to win, while Shelton said that he’s not worried because at least one American is going to win the match.
Frances Tiafoe:
“We’re both going to go out, compete, and put on a show. Two people of color playing in the quarterfinals, in Arthur Ashe? It’s a monumental moment. In the bigger picture, I think tennis is going to win.”
Ben Shelton:
“This is what [the media] always talk about: who’s going to be the next Grand Slam champion? I don’t know. I’m not too worried. At least one American is going to be in the semifinals here.”
After a tense battle with Belarusian player Aryana Sabalenka, Coco Gauff emerged as the victor in the US Open last Sunday and claimed her maiden Grand Slam title. She won the match with an impressive 6-2 6-3 6-2 victory, sending the fans into a frenzy of cheers and applause.
She also made history that day as she became the third American youngster, behind Serena Williams and Tracy Austin, to win her first Grand Slam championship. Austin won the title in 1979 and 1981, while Serena Williams, then 17 years old, won it in 1999.
Gauff has been on a tear ever since she lost in the first round at Wimbledon. But after that loss, she’s been on an 18-win streak, claiming the biggest WTA 500 title of her career in Washington and then taking it to the next level with a WTA 1000 win in Cincinnati.
And now, she’s done it again, winning her first ever Grand Slam title.
With this result, she climbed from fifth-ranked to third-ranked in the official WTA rankings, surpassing her prior career-best ranking of fourth, achieved at the end of last year.
After winning the match, Coco Gauff stated that she was thrilled to follow the footsteps of Serena and Venus Williams and that they were the reason why she had the trophy that day.
“I’m so honoured to be able to follow in my sisters’ footsteps and to be able to win my first Grand Slam title,” Gauff said.”It’s been an incredible journey and I’m so proud to be a part of it.
“Crazy. They’re the reason why I have this trophy today,” she said. “Honestly, they’ve allowed me to believe in this dream. Growing up, there weren’t too many just black tennis players dominating the sport. It was literally at that time when I was younger, it was just them that I can remember.
Gauff: It was crazy
Gauff says their legacy has had an immense impact, making her dreams feel attainable. Reflecting on the struggles endured by trailblazers like Serena, Venus, Althea Gibson, Sloane Stephens, and Naomi Osaka, “I’m reminded of the hurdles they overcame, especially in the fight for equal pay at events like Indian Wells.”
Being part of such an esteemed lineup, which includes legendary figures like Althea Gibson and modern champions like Serena, Venus, Naomi, and Sloane, is a true honor, she added.
“They paved the way for my journey here. I distinctly recall watching Sloane win this trophy in 2017, a moment that inspired me deeply, having known her since I was 10 years old.”
This year saw the emergence of Ben Shelton, who made a name for himself in the world of tennis by making an impact at the US Open with his two serving bombs and reaching the semi-finals of the tournament. In addition, he achieved his first ATP title of the season when he triumphed in the Japan Open against Russia’s Aslan Karatsiev in a 7-5 6-1 final. Ultimately, his journey this year culminated in him reaching the No. 17 spot in the Pepperstone ATP rankings.
And considering that the 21-year-old only turned pro in the late summer of 2022, the world gaped at his achievements.
Robert Federer: ‘He’s my fave’
Adding to the list of Shelton’s admirers is Robert Federer, the father of legendary tennis icon and 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer.
He confessed that since his son retired, Shelton has been his favorite player to watch.
“Wow, it’s just beautiful to look at him. I’m a big fan of his. He’s my new favourite.” Robert said.
Roger Federer’s father, Robert, says Ben Shelton is his new favorite player to watch:
“Wow, it’s just beautiful to look at him. I’m a big fan of his. He’s my new favourite.”
Fans under the Tennis Letter’s post then agreed with Robert, and said that Shelton was indeed extraordinary for his age.
One fan said, “He’s a very exciting young guy, with an incredible talent for tennis and a huge and refreshing personality !!” While another one commented, “Ben Shelton is extraordinary”
Some fans also asserted that his statement might be connected to Ben representing the brand ON, in which Federer is a major shareholder, writing, “this is brand related right? Shelton signed to the same brand as Federer, On shoes”
On March of this year, the Swiss company ON announced the signing of Ben Shelton and Iga Swiatek as their new brand ambassadors.
Roger said: “They demonstrate On’s competitive spirit and embody current and future champions of the sport”.
Swiss company On, of which Roger Federer is one of the major shareholders, has announced the signing of world no. 1 Iga Swiatek, Ben Shelton and 16-year-old João Fonseca.
Roger said: "They demonstrate On's competitive spirit and embody current and future champions of the sport". pic.twitter.com/nVnNDVKiuj
Last month, Shelton was asked who among the Big Three was his favorite, to which he admitted that it was Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, which comes as a full circle.
“I studied Nadal and tried to steal some secrets from him. But my favorite has always been Roger. Novak Djokovic? In three years he will still be a top 5, and he will still win tournaments,” Shelton said, as per tennisuptodate.
NEW YORK- Coco Gauff, 19, has made it to the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the second year in a row after knocking out 2018 Australian Open champ Caroline Wozniacki.
Tennis fans have been on the lookout for Gauff’s next moves after a video of her complaining, “How is this fair?” to the umpire who turned a blind eye to her opponent’s mistake, went viral on Tiktok. But, this isn’t the first time Gauff impressed the world by being the Gen Z icon that she is.
Gauff first made headlines at the 2019 Wimbledon when she won a David vs. Goliath match against 39-year-old tennis veteran Venus Williams. She made it into the 16th round of the tournament and was thereafter declared the youngest person to achieve this feat in the history of Wimbledon. She was just 15 years old at the time and was still in the budding stage of her career.
In the same year, Gauff also grabbed her first WTA title at Linz after winning against Jelena Ostapenko.
In the years that followed, Gauff eventually became known as one of the tennis prodigies, joining the likes of Tracy Austin, Jennifer Capriati, and Andrea Jaeger.
This year, the tennis prodigy went head to head against the former Danish champ, Caroline Wozniacki. And with two of tennis’ biggest household names, their New York clash was much anticipated by sports enthusiasts around the world.
Proving to be different from all her previous rivals, Wozniacki had a strong start compared to Gauff. At one point, Gauff had her serve broken and found herself in a bit of a rut. Brad Gilbert, a coach she hired on a “trial basis”, urged her to “ play longer points” and “put more shape on the ball”.
However, Gauff had a different observation and brushed off her coach’s suggestions, even telling him to “stop talking” in the middle of the match.
“I definitely agree that playing longer points is to my advantage (in general). But I felt in that moment, playing Caroline, watching her play so many years, that that’s what she feeds off of. I didn’t want to play into that game. I know playing against her, you have to be the aggressor.“, Gauff said.
Following her intuition, Gauff played her own strategy and was able to turn the tide. She won against the former champ with 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
In an interview, Wozniacki commended Gauff for her athleticism:
“I think Coco over the last month and a half, ever since after Wimbledon, I think she’s not scared to hit through her forehand, which she has been in the past,” Wozniacki said. “I think she’s getting more depth on it and a little bit more rotation. I think that’s why she’s obviously winning more on a consistent basis. I think she’s always been a great athlete, she’s always had the backhand, the serve, the fighting spirit. I feel like right now it’s all kind of coming together for her.”
In return, Gauff also had nothing but love for Wozniacki at the end of the match, stating that she was truly an inspiration for her:
“She’s been an inspiration growing up. She definitely gets to a lot of balls. Sometimes I felt like I was playing myself. I knew I had to be aggressive today. In some moments I missed, but I was happy I was able to get back and focus”
Rising American tennis player Ben Shelton joked he had found a new sideline after taking part in a Vanity Fair photo shoot. The 20-year-old, who posted his latest snapshots on Instagram, playfully captioned one of his pictures from the photo shoot, “Part-time job @vanityfair”.
Shelton, who had a good run at the 2023 Australian Open, reaching the quarter-finals, is currently taking part in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
The Vanity Fair photo shoot showcased leading American players on the ATP and WTA circuits.
The stars photographed included Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Danielle Collins. The photographs are in an elegant film noir style against a muted blue background
Rising stars including Mackenzie McDonald, Alycia Parks, Sebastian Korda, and Maxime Cressy also joined Sheldon for the photo session. Shelton also shared a private moment with world no 10 Frances Tiafoe.
Shelton, who has won 14 of his 35 games this season, hasn’t had an easy ride after his good run at the Australian Open though he did advance to the Cagliari Challenger semi-final in May. Now he wants to regain his mojo. All eyes are on his return to peak condition with the US Open starting later this month.
