The best American tennis player? Ben Shelton has made a giant leap up the ATP rankings and could rise further

Ben Shelton is the biggest promise in American tennis. He has made remarkable progress on the ATP rankings this year and will be one of the most watched players next season. Will he threaten Djokovic and co. soon?

Shelton on the rise

You don’t see such a jump in the rankings right away. Ben Shelton has done it. The twenty-one-year-old American started 2023 at the bottom of the top 100, but by the end of the season he was basking in the second ten.

He first made his presence felt at the Australian Open. At the opening Grand Slam of the season, the Atlanta native broke into the top eight tennis players at the tournament. But the best was yet to come.

Shelton literally blew the biggest hole in the world at his home US Open. Although he fell short of the coveted domestic title, he made it all the way to the semifinals, where Novak Djokovic became an insurmountable obstacle for him.

The lanky tennis player clawed his way past his compatriots Paul and Tiafoe to signal his assault on the number one position in American tennis. He also made a big impression at the New York Grand Slam with a record-breaking serve of nearly 150 miles per hour.

A thunderous prospect

And tennis experts know about him, of course. John McEnroe, for example, has sung his praises. And no wonder. Shelton may be the USA’s number four at the moment, but he’s considerably younger than his domestic competition, and the shift he’s shown this year makes him a real iron in the fire.

According to Scott Perelman of the Florida Tennis Team, Shelton may not yet be putting in performances like Djokovic or Alcaraz, but he’s worth keeping an eye on. Their level is no longer too far away for the American.

Finally..

It won’t be a surprise if at this point in a year’s time we dissect Shelton’s successful assault on the elite ten and his success at Grand Slams. The American cut his teeth and earned the valuable scalp of world number four Sinner at the end of the year.

One can only agree with Pelerman’s words. It would be a big mistake not to keep a close eye on the young American.

Source: ATP, X, The Gainesville Sun