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.
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.
Despite a series of unsuccessful attempts, American tennis player Shelton has finally achieved his first ATP Tour final at the Japan Open.
Shelton triumphed over American qualifier Marcos Giron with a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory.
Shelton didn’t get off to a great start against Giron, losing the first set. He said in an interview that if he kept playing like that, he was sure he’d lose. This forced the 21-year-old to change his strategy mid-game and ‘shake things up’.
“I knew that if I continued to keep playing the way I was, with the rhythm that he’d found, I was going to lose the match,” he said, per Supersport. “I tried to shake things up and try something that was going to surprise him.”
After escaping a close call in the second set 7-6 (7/5), Shelton maintained his momentum and finished the match with an ace. Shelton said the game was definitely not a stroll in the park because he had to adapt and find solutions while playing.
Although he eventually figured it out, he admitted that it was not an ‘easy process’ for him.
Shelton on his achievement
As the tennis enthusiasts and spectators celebrated his milestone, the Tennis Letter shared his post-match interview on X:
“It’s a huge achievement for me and my team. Especially the way the match came out today. Definitely one of the toughest matches I’ve played in my life. Marcos was waxing me from the baseline in almost every rally. I had to completely change my game up to even have a chance to compete against him. To be able to get through that match, not only figure some things out, but get a win & be going into my 1st ATP Final… the win couldn’t be sweeter,” Shelton said.
Ben Shelton on reaching 1st ever ATP Final in Tokyo:
It’s a huge achievement for me and my team. Especially the way the match came out today. Definitely one of the toughest matches I’ve played in my life. Marcos was waxing me from the baseline in almost every rally. I had to… pic.twitter.com/bUonfiFbgS
He was also asked about the condition of his legs given that six of his last seven matches had been three setters, to which Shelton responded:
“The legs are a little heavy today, but I’ll definitely be recovered by tomorrow. I’ll be ready to go. I think if nothing else, adrenaline will get me through the match.”
After overcoming a formidable adversary, Shelton is set to take on Russian Aslan Karatsiev in the semi-finals on Sunday.
The 2023 US Open’s outbreak star, Ben Shelton, has been making headlines everywhere after hitting his serving bombs two times in a row.
First serving bomb- 147 mph
Even though the 20-year-old from Atlanta didn’t have as much experience as his opponents, he didn’t shy away from the spotlight and let the world see what he was capable of. On September 1, he hit his first serving bomb of the tournament at 147 mph—the fastest serve in the U.S. Open at the time—and the crowd went wild. He also hit 26 aces en route to a 6-0, 6-4, 6-2 victory over 30-year-old Russian Aslan Karatsev in two hours and 20 minutes.
In a post-match interview, Shelton expressed his thoughts on his performance:
“I am really pleased with my performance today,” said Shelton, who won 86 per cent of his first-serve points. “Happy with the way I served. I think it was one of my best serving days ever. I think I had the most aces I have had in a match and it was the day after John Isner played his last match, it is kind of weird. Maybe he left some of his serving magic out for me, so thanks Johnny.”
Albeit receiving positive response about his serving bomb, Shelton, admitted that his father wasn’t very fond of it:
“Dad is always upset when I go for the bombs,” he said. “He was saying to me after the match, he’s like, I know you looked at the clock, looked right at it after.
“They had a little statistic up on the screen of fastest serves of the tournament. He’s like, ‘I know you were looking up at that, too, to see you were number one on the leaderboard.’ He gave me a hard time about it.”
Second serving bomb- 149 mph
As he advanced in the ranks, Shelton then played against his previous rival and fellow compatriot, Tommy Paul on September 3. The two have previously met at the Australian Open at the start of the year, where Paul edged out Shelton in the event. This moment, however, belonged to Shelton when he beat Paul 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
But apart from this sweet revenge, Shelton stunned the crowd once again when he hit another serving bomb at 149 mph during the fourth-round clash, causing the crowd and even Paul himself to applaud at this feat. Shelton’s record is now just 3 mph short of the world record for the fastest serve by Andy Roddick at 152 mph.
As of now, spectators are waiting for Shelton’s next match against fellow American, Frances Tiafoe.
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.”
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.
