Despite being part of the ATP Tour for only about a year, Ben Shelton has plenty of friends on Tour, according to his father.
Ben Shelton has been part of the ATP Tour for about a year, and he's left quite a mark. From earning a spot in the Top 15 to winning his maiden ATP Trophy recently. There is a lot of hype around him, and for good reason. He's destined to become the next big superstar of tennis if everything remains constant.
Besides being great at tennis, Shelton is also quite a likable and humble person. According to his father, Shelton has many friends on Tour, which is due to his personality but also a prevalence of many US players on Tour with him. It's an interesting fact, considering that Shelton described himself as boring recently.
Oh, it’s funny. He has friends everywhere, you know. And I think his closest friends are the ones he knows best, like Maki McDonald, Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz. These guys have really welcomed him into the American tennis fraternity, and also Francis Tiafoe. All these guys have been very, very kind to him, welcoming him.
So it’s been nice to see; then he has friends like Dan Evans, who treat him a bit like a little brother, you know. They put him in his place sometimes, but you know, in a playful and fun way. We’ve also met some nice coaches out here.
For us, it’s essential to enjoy the time off the court as well as on it. It’s important to wear a smile, greet people, get to know them and learn more about them. I want him to go beyond just tennis.
He's played doubles with many different players which also speaks to him being well liked by his colleagues.