Ben Shelton shot to fame after reaching the US Open semi-final in 2023 before losing to Novak Djokovic.
Ben Shelton is America’s new kid on the block, with his infamous booming lefty serve and iconic phone celebration just two of his notable features.
The 21-year-old elected not to accompany Team USA’s Paris 2024 Olympics team, and instead moved to the American hard courts.
Starting as the top seed in Atlanta, Shelton was defeated by 19-year-old Shang Juncheng for the third time in their three career meetings.
Having missed the Olympics to try and get ahead on the hard courts, with Shelton defending a bucket of ATP points at the US Open, it was certainly a less than ideal start.
With some poorer singles results since his big breakthrough, Shelton will seemingly look to prioritize getting back on form and keep his spot in the top 20.
Why might Shelton put a stop to his grand slam doubles career?
Shelton acknowledged that doubles is incredibly beneficial for his game, with his big serve often followed by an approach shot or a volley.
He said during his press conference at the Mubadala Citi DC Open: “A lot of times it’s getting used to the conditions at the tournament I’m playing before I play a singles match.
“It’s a little bit more on your body. I’m young. I can handle it. It’s like why would I not play doubles when prize money is crazy high I think in doubles. You get extra matches. It’s another chance to improve.
He then admitted however: “I think that my doubles career at Grand Slams could be coming to an end because that’s a little bit too much I found out on my body playing all three last year.
“I had another tough situation with doubles at Wimbledon. With three-out-of-five sets, it’s completely different. At all the other tour events, yeah, I try to play doubles whenever I can.”
Shelton’s first three Wimbledon matches all went to five sets and by the time he met Jannik Sinner in the fourth round, he had very little left.
Can Ben Shelton replicate his form at the US Open?
Shelton certainly has a chance of replicating his US Open form this year, however with the form of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, I suspect another semi-final appearance won’t happen.
While his explosive serve and powerful groundstrokes are formidable weapons that can trouble any opponent, he must also focus on minimizing unforced errors and improving his defensive play.
Shelton’s mental toughness, which he demonstrated at the US Open, will be crucial in handling the pressures of consecutive tournaments and navigating challenging matches.
If Shelton can stay injury-free and develop his game during the next month before the start of the US Open, he has the potential to forge a run there.
However, with the quality that surrounds him, he may well have his work cut out if he is to even try and match his 2023 result.
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