American tennis sensation Ben Shelton named Swiss legend Roger Federer as his favorite player ahead of Big Three members Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Shelton, who rose through the ranks of college tennis at the University of Florida, has enjoyed a meteoric rise on the senior tour since turning professional in the summer of 2022. The 21-year-old reached a first Grand Slam semfinal at the 2023 US Open.
A week ago, Shelton won a maiden ATP title at the Japan Open, a result that earned him a place in the world's Top 15. He is currently leading the charge among US men in the Olympic race qualification. Shelton was asked to share his opinion on the GOAT debate, on who is the greatest between tennis' famed trio of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Shelton's favorite player has been the retired Swiss who won 20 Grand Slams in a storied career but had some delightful words for both Djokovic and Nadal. The young American honed his tennis skills by watching Nadal, who like Shelton is a lefty. At the same time, Shelton tips Djokovic to keep winning tournaments for the next three years.
"I studied Nadal and tried to steal some secrets from him. But my favorite has always been Roger. Novak Djokovic? In three years he will still be a top 5, and he will still win tournaments."
Shelton reserves all the credit for his father, Bryan, for his immense rise and he's always been someone he's looked up to as an inspiration and role model. Shelton Sr. was a former World No. 55 who won two career titles on the ATP Tour (the Sheltons are one of four father-son duo who have won at least one ATP title). Ben Shelton's father quit his role as coach of Florida Gators in order to work with his son on the pro tour.
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