Ben Shelton had a really strong run at the 2023 US Open, and fellow American Sebastian Korda thinks it's great for American tennis.
Only a couple of years ago, Sebastian Korda was tipped to be the next great player from the United States. He can still be that but the American kind of a hit wall in the past year, mostly due to injuries that prevented him from playing regular tennis.
Say what you will about the sport, but you're not going to take steps forward unless you actually play the game and that's been a problem for Korda lately. He didn't have a good US Open but hopes to get back on track in China. Speaking ahead of his return, Korda talked about an American who did have a great US Open - Ben Shelton.
I think it is really great for American tennis [and] hopefully tennis in general. Hopefully we [are providing good] entertainment in some way. I think Ben did a great job at the US Open. He just really showed the world what he's capable of and what he can do in the near future. And he's got a great game.
As a fellow American, Korda knew about Shelton, so none of this came as a huge surprise to him. Most fans weren't familiar with the big-serving American until this year's Australian Open, but by now, most know him. It will stay that way in the future because he's here to stay, and his breakout motivates Korda even more.
[He is] powerful, entertaining [and he] loves to kind of interact with fans as well. I think he's a great role model for younger kids with the way that he plays. I think it's awesome. It definitely pushes all of us to do better. And obviously, it shows the way, that it is possible for someone like him, or of any age, to be out there performing like him.
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