It's Time We Talk About Ben Shelton...

It’s Time We Talk About Ben Shelton…

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#benshelton #tennis #atp

[pishachas]

Played with Shelton when he was around 12 at a UF tennis camp. He was constantly playing against some of the D1 college team players at that age so I knew he was gonna do incredibly well when he got older. Wild to see how far he's gone.

[mashizzung]

His dad is one of the most chill coaches I've seen.

[harrisonclauss]

These people are putting everything into this sport. Let them get angry, let them celebrate. When you put your life into something, winning or losing carries a lot of intense emotions with it

[donyeokeziri]

I like Shelton. He pumps himself and I’ve never heard him talk down on an opponent. Unlike a lot of other players that people still like.

[leoallan]

Ben Shelton is just truly an exciting player to see develop

[gotbjosh]

This channel changed the video title and has unfortunately been indiscriminately liking a bunch of ignorant, backhanded comments for engagement metrics. Here is a clearer tracking of Shelton's progress, unlike many of the comments:

Shelton won FIVE Challengers in a row to reach the Top 100 (#96) and get into the main draw of AO '23 without the use of a wild card or playing quallies. After 10 months including deep runs a two Majors (facing a much tougher draw at USO), Ben won the prestigious Tokyo 500 level event and reached Top 15. For context, of the 12 US players in the Top 100, only Fritz has managed to win at that level or higher.

Since then, Shelton's maintained a stable Top 20 ranking, won his first clay court tournament, & reached a new high of #14 (#13 Live) to become the new US #1 player. He's done all this having started playing tennis much later as a kid, focusing on college tennis instead of Juniors, and having turned pro later. His level is insanely good & the tennis pro insiders know it. Even Laver himself said Shelton will win a Slam.

Shelton's serve remains his biggest weapon. As of the US MC3 title win, Ben is already 4th on tour for aces in 2024 (~200). This indicates a highly variable serve reliably hit to all spots with accurate placement & mixed pacing. His forehand now has more shape/spin, a shorter swing, & better follow through for more stability, control, & heaviness.

Like many of the Next Gen cohort, Ben's a natural at net and has improved his volleys as a finishing weapon with less exposure to passing shots. 2024 Dallas & Houston match wins show this improvement. Houston also showed Shelton's c2c movement & 2HB are much improved. The backhand showed lots of variety including DTL winners.

As for return games, Shelton aptly hunts for strategic breaks rather than over-investing energy trying to manufacture them. It's simply more efficient and allows him to focus on his own service games. The stats are already improving for 2024 compared to 2023 or Y2D. Most importantly, Shelton has the best mentality out of the 12 US players in the Top 100. Three setters and tiebreaks played & won indicates not only his improved conditioning but also consistent mental resiliency.

[sportsart]

I like the freshness he brings to the court. I wish him all the best.

[wenbinlicrazy]

He’s awesome to watch and with time in the tour, he’s going to get better

[gabekerr]

imo he is just as good as advertised, so much potential, best serve

[charlottecheung]

shelton brings that college ncaa varsity energy to the tour with the loud celebrations. it's part of his charm

edit: some people think it's a charm, like the intensity and stuff. some people think it's arrogant and not humble at all. i think he's a bit loud, but each to their own tbh

[icefalcon]

He’s incredible and getting better. No question. You can’t be #1 in the US without being amazing.

[saami]

If you only made this vid a few days later, you could have included he won Houston and is the #1 American male tennis player!!!

It was amazing to see him win on clay, probably his worst surface but slowly gaining more confidence! Defo my fav player rn!

[JayRuf]

I like Shelton. I like his confidence and self belief. He genuinely seems like a nice guy. He has a nice personality that can attract your average fan. I also like that he makes the more stuffy section of tennis fans a bit mad.... LOL. I hope he has a long and successful career and keeps developing.

[Graceclaw]

Right now one thing I notice every single match is how surprised he is when his opponents get to a drop shot he hits. He just assumes they won't get to it, so he visibly relaxes and can't scramble fast enough to continue the rally.

Easy fix: Always assume your opponent will hit the ball back.

[TimelyAdventure]

A short kings video! Deep dive into players like Baez, Schwartzman, Dan Evans, etc. that shows how they compete against taller players, strategies, how they work their serve, and have better than average return games. That kind of thing really inspires me as a shorter player. Love the short kings and would love to have a deep think into how they get so good despite competing against players who are so much taller so often.

[ClarkJohnson-oque]

Just here to laugh at all the idiots that think he is overrated even though after only 2.5yrs on tour (2022 mostly on the challenger tour) he has peaked at #14 (currently #15), has won 2 titles in 2 finals, has 1 semi and 1 quarter in 6 major appearances, and has beaten 3 top 10 players out of 14 appearances.

[tds]

His serve variation reminds me of Federer, Kyrgios, Isner, Thiem, Serena and occasionally Eubanks.

Can hit everything. Insane.

[alexarmstrong]

I think he, much like Sinner who also committed to the game much later most of their peers, has a huge upside given he has much less mileage. He will ONLY get better. How much better we don’t know but he’s smart, athletic and hungry.

[cadmarbusinesssuite]

I absolutely ❤ Ben Shelton! His swagger and willingness to be fearless is what emboldens me. Great game, great skill and he's a lefty. Wow. He makes me smile and is the freshest thing that has happened for American men's tennis. He is a leader. People don't get him because he came from the college environment onto the pro scene. That is why I find college basketball more exciting than the NBA. The crowds and the players are so emotionally invested into it. Go Ben! I am praying for you 🙏.

[egorgrigorev]

maybe we need a video about class of clay players from south America like baez, jarry, facundo, cerundolo, tabilo, munar and others