"I really want to get my degree" - Shelton focuses also on life outside of tennis
ATPTuesday, 24 January 2023 at 00:40
Updated at Sunday, 12 January 2025 at 17:34
Ben Shelton admitted that he wants to finish his degree, as he came to professional tennis from the college environment.
Shelton is enjoying the best tournament of his career as he's made it to the quarter-finals at the 2023 Australian Open. It's only a second Grand Slam appearance for the American, but he will already surpass the career-high in the ATP Rankings of his father, Bryan Shelton, who was ranked 55th.
Despite incredible talent and his move inside of the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings, Shelton admitted that he also focuses on his school, and despite having a lot of work to do on the tennis court, he wants to study, too.
"I'm taking classes at a bit slower pace than I was when I was full time in school. I don't have too difficult of a workload. It's very manageable while I'm playing tennis. So far in January I haven't had any problems or conflicts."
"I really want to get my degree. It's something that's important to me. That's something that I'm going to stick to and continue to do. No exams yet, so it's going to get interesting when my exam dates might conflict with some of my matches (smiling). A few assignments here and there. Pretty easy stuff."
The youngster also spoke about his performances in Melbourne that led him already to the quarter-finals of the first major of the season.
"[It is] definitely a surprise. I got on the plane with no expectations. I know that it's very hard to adjust to Australia from the United States just with the jetlag, time change and everything. It being my first time, never being out of the United States, I knew it would be a struggle."
"But I think it has helped me a little bit having that expectation or the feeling that I have to perform, but being able to just go out there, be myself and play free. I think that's been a big contribution to my success."
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