Ben Shelton has enjoyed a rapid rise in tennis, with the American currently sitting 14th in the ATP world rankings.
Aged just 21, he already has two titles to his name, with the first coming in Tokyo last year, and the second arriving in Houston this year.
The victories were clinched on hard and clay courts respectively, with his focus now on grass following the conclusion of the French Open.
In Paris, a third round exit was suffered at the hands of Felix Auger Aliassime, with very disappointing early exits following at the Stuttgart Open and Queen’s.
The latter will have been particularly disappointing for the youngster given that he was handed the good news of facing a qualifier in the opening round.
John McEnroe lauds Ben Shelton after his Laver Cup call-up
But he will have moved on from that shock loss to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in London, with plenty of chances of redemption to come later this year.
A long stay at Wimbledon will be the immediate goal, but Shelton also has grand plans for September after being named in Team World for the Laver Cup.
Captain John McEnroe has now explained the reasons behind his latest selection, in what will be Shelton’s second appearance in the competition.
“Ben thrives in a team environment and relishes the big stage,” said McEnroe, as quoted by the official Laver Cup website.
“He brings an incredible energy to the team and is a threat in both singles and doubles with a massive serve and fierce will to win.”
Can Ben Shelton continue shining for Team World?
The seventh edition of the Laver Cup is scheduled for mid-September, with the event taking place at Uber Arena in Berlin.
And Team World certainly have a strong lineup confirmed so far, with Shelton joining Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the setup.
The Australian has just clinched success in the Netherlands at the Libema Open, with Paul having just won at Queen’s.
Two roster positions remain in Team World, while Team Europe Captain Bjorn Borg has already named Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev in his star-studded lineup.
The 2024 event represents the final year in which McEnroe and Borg will go head-to-head as Laver Cup captains, with Team World chasing a third consecutive title.
Shelton will, therefore, be keen for his captain to go out with a bang, having won three matches as Team World clinched the title in 2023.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
