Ben Shelton is the new number USA number one and Andy Roddick has now shared a really intriguing story about the youngster.
The 21-year-old was crowned the Houston Open champion recently and that propelled him above Taylor Fritz in the rankings.
He defeated compatriot Frances Tiafoe to lift the crown after coming through a tough game with Tomas-Martin Etcheverry in the semi-final.
Shelton is a novice on the tour really and it’s quite remarkable that he now sits at number 14 in the world despite his tender years.
Winning in Houston was his second ATP title and now Roddick has shared a remarkable story about the youngster.
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Andy Roddick shares brilliant story about Ben Shelton
For Shelton, every achievement represents another milestone in his career and he’s showing some really promising signs of late.
The talented player can be considered a new kid on the block, but being a tennis player gives him experiences he might never have dreamed of.
Now, after his success in Houston, Roddick has shared a brilliant story about Shelton and it’s quite amazing that he’s gone on such an upward trajectory.
He said on Served with Andy Roddick: “Ben is the new US number one and it’s well deserved. The weird thing is, in January of last year, not too long ago, so 15 or 16 months ago, Ben Shelton had never left the country.
“When he went to Australia last year, he’d never left the country before.
“This is someone who developed late, went to college, is still very young but he wasn’t playing challengers at 17, he’s the new male USA number one and he hadn’t even left the country 16 months ago. Remarkable.”
Shelton could go deep in Grand Slams this year
The Florida native has burst onto the scene with quite an impact so far and he’s already reached a quarter-final and a semi-final of a major.
If he can do that in his first season on the tour, then who knows what the future holds for the burgeoning talent.
In Melbourne, Shelton perhaps didn’t cover himself in glory, losing in five sets to French player Adrian Mannarino.
However, there are signs that he can bounce back and with the world’s top 10 now in his sights he has a clear incentive.
Shelton is the youngest USA number-one since Roddick – but he has played that aspect down, claiming on the podcast that it’s not something he worries about.
At 21, Shelton now has the confidence going into tournaments and it will be fascinating to see what else the new US number one can now achieve this year.
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