'Hard To Believe': Shelton Reflects On 'Crazy' Progression In Only One Year On Tour
ATP
Ben Shelton has had a tremendous first season on the ATP Tour as he made his Top 20 debut not even a full year after making his Top 100 debut.
Shelton finished last year with a series of amazing performances on the Challenger Tour in the United States. He won two back-to-back trophies, which ensured him a Top 100 debut by the end of the year.
Not even two months later, the American would be the hot topic in Melbourne, where he made the second week. It was his first Grand Slam experience, and immediately, he left a really powerful impression, and it didn't stop there.
Amazing performances continued throughout the year, culminating in the US Open run to the semi-final. He lost to Novak Djokovic but gained a lot of respect from his peers and secured a Top 20 debut.
Now, as a stable member of the ATP Tour, Shelton still finds himself unable to grasp all of it. The rise was meteoric, far better than he ever expected, but he doesn't mind it. It's been an enjoyable surprise. He mentioned it during the post-match interview after his Shanghai Masters debut.
Yeah, definitely motivating. Making the flight over here, it's kind of hard to believe that a year and a half ago, I was in the college, a year ago, I was playing Challengers.- Shelton after his Shanghai Masters debut
And now, I was on my way to Shanghai for a Masters 1000 where I'm seeded. So, it's definitely been a whirlwind of a year, and crazy to think that I'm in a position that I'm in, and I'm soaking it all in and enjoying it.
The sky is the limit for Shelton, who has high aspirations, and he isn't afraid to talk about them, as he did multiple times before.
