Ben Shelton was full of praise for Frances Tiafoe despite losing to his compatriot in the US Open third round.
Tennis fans were angry at the early match, which saw American duo Shelton and Tiafoe come together at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The latter came out on top 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5-7), 6-4, 6-3 in their five-set thriller at the US Open, in a revenge victory over the former.
It was Shelton who earned the bragging rights when the pair met at the competition in 2023, beating Tiafoe at the quarter-final stage.
The tides have turned this year, but Shelton holds no grudges against his compatriot, saying in his latest press conference: “I think that it’s important to show it sometimes that, you know, you can be happy for a guy when they beat you. Obviously there are some things I want to do better. I’m a competitor. I always want to win.”
Nick Kyrgios impressed by Ben Shelton despite his loss to France Tiafoe
Shelton continued: “But, you know, I’ve taken a few things from him in the past year, and I thought that he’s always handled it well. You know, maybe not like a big embrace when we’re on the court. But soon or right after it’s like things are back to normal. But one of those cool environments in matches to be a part of.
“It didn’t feel right to just go up with a negative look on my face, shake his hand and walk off the court, because he played some great ball today. I told him, you know, keep serving like that, keep returning like that, and see where this thing goes. Obviously he took me out here, so let’s see what he can do.”
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His words and indeed his post-match embrace with Tiafoe caught the eye of fellow professional Nick Kyrgios, who wrote on X: “Shelton, ultimate respect. Well played, I hope you have every success in the world.
“Humble in defeat. This quote ‘you have to be smart enough to know when it’s your time, but humble enough to know when it’s someone else’s’.”
Frances Tiafoe faces tough US Open test against Alexei Popyrin
Shelton and Tiafoe clearly share a mutual respect, with the duo helping American men shine ahead of the US Open.
The former ultimately lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic after beating the latter last year, with Tiafoe now surely seeking a similarly lengthy run.
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Having just knocked out 13th seed Shelton, the 20th seed now meets 28th seed Alexei Popyrin in the round of 16.
The pair have never met competitively on the court, but the Australian is a man in fine form after just knocking out Djokovic in round three.
Popyrin produced a superb display from start to finish at Arthur Ashe Stadium, defeating the defending champion 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
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