Ben Shelton claimed to have a rare weapon he can use on clay which Rafael Nadal also had

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Ben Shelton is in the middle of his best run at the French Open so far.

The American has reached the fourth round at the clay court Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

Shelton came through a five set thriller against Lorenzo Sonego in round one, before receiving a walkover in round two and beating Matteo Gigante 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last 16.

The 22-year-old is gradually becoming more accustomed to playing on clay, and his recent performances have received huge praise from a legend of the game.

Mats Wilander says Ben Shelton has a weapon in his game similar to Rafael Nadal

Shelton burst onto the ATP Tour in 2022 after foregoing his final year of college and turning pro.

Since then he has won two ATP titles, one of which came on clay, reached two Grand Slam semi-finals, and he is a fixture in the ATP’s top 15.

He is aiming to utilise his thunderous serve and athleticism to become an effective clay court player, especially his forehand, a shot which Mats Wilander compared to Rafael Nadal’s, a fellow left-handed player.

“I love the way he plays. His forehand – he can hit it hard, he can hit it flat or inside out but he can also hook it the way Rafael Nadal can do,” the Swede said.

“That is the biggest weapon on clay, it’s the left-handed forehand which the topspin into the right-hander’s backhand. That would be the biggest weapon and Ben Shelton has that.”

Ben Shelton says how he is inspired by Rafael Nadal at the French Open

Shelton plays with a heavy topspin forehand as Nadal did throughout his illustrious career.

The Spaniard was also renowned for the competitive spirit he showed on court and his unwavering resilience, which helped him win a plethora of matches.

The young American is looking to channel the qualities from the 14-time French Open winner to continue having success in Paris this year.

“I think there’s a few times that Rafa went down on these courts and got some clay all over him, I feel like every great champion has,” Shelton added.

“I’m just trying to learn. For them, it was probably a dive for the ball, for me it was more like a fall because I lost my footing, but I’m figuring it out.”