Ben Shelton has been on a roll these past few months. The muscular, left-handed maverick has set the stage on fire with his entertaining style of playing tennis and with his own unique and innovative celebrations.
Growing up, the boy from Atlanta must have had close mentors and role models, such as his own professional tennis-playing father. However, what must have piqued young Ben’s interest in tennis would have been watching his favourite players slog it out on the courts in front of the television screen. And one such idol’s tenacity has had a deep impact on Ben’s life.
Ben Shelton hails Rafael Nadal
After his mammoth success in Japan, where Ben Shelton lifted the Tokyo Open trophy for the first time ever and also won his first ATP tour title of his career, Ben quickly had to catch a flight to the ATP tour’s next stop, Europe.
In the midst of this travel mayhem, Ben Shelton managed to give an interview where he was questioned on the obvious – how he succeeded at such a young age? His response was to hail one of tennis’ greats.
Rafael Nadal and Ben Shelton have more in common than what meets the eye. Both are left handed, both are teenage prodigies and both have sportsmen in their families. Thus, Ben viewed Nadal as a mentor, an idol and a hero on the tennis court, not just as a fan but also as someone to learn from.
Ben Shelton said that Nadal was his hero and that the Spaniard’s never-say-die attitude and tenacity on the tennis court was the stuff of legends and hard to replicate.
“You could only hope to have a fighting spirit like him,” Ben quipped.
It was only a year ago that Ben Shelton turned professional, and his progress through the ranks of the tennis circuit has left fans in a state of awe. His US Open run, Japan Open triumph and his unique phone celebration have all caught the eye of ardent fans around the globe.
Ben Shelton faces Jannik Sinner at Vienna Open
The Vienna Open is an ATP Masters 500 tournament taking place in the namesake city in Austria. Daniil Medvedev is the defending champion, having defeated Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the 2022 final.
Ben Shelton enters the tournament on a high after winning the Japan Open, but will be weary of his first round matchup. Ben is set to face Italian No.2 seed Jannik Sinner in the first round and the clash has all the bearings of a blockbuster in the making.
The pair just recently met for the first time at the Shanghai Open in China, where Ben Shelton rallied to a massive victory over Sinner in three sets. The third set offered no breaks to either player and was decided in a tiebreaker; such was the level of competition.
On October 25, the pair will meet again and Sinner will be out for revenge in a crucial clash as the year comes to a close. A win in Vienna would provide ATP points for the player as well as momentum ahead of the ATP Masters 1000 Paris Open.
What are your opinions on Ben Shelton’s adulation of Rafael Nadal? Let us know in the comments section below.
