Ben Shelton had never left his country before this year, and he was shocked by quite a few things.
Exploring the world should be something everybody does because there is so much to see and so much to learn. Ben Shelton got the chance to do that in 2023, and it's been quite an amazing journey for the rising star.
Having his dad right there as coach only made it better for him as they got a chance to see how huge the sport was outside of their country. Shelton Sr. probably knew all of that, having been a former ATP player himself, but for Ben, it was quite a shock.
Tennis is not huge in the United States compared to other sports. The size of the country and the market make it huge simply, so Shelton was quite surprised to see how popular tennis is worldwide.
I think one of biggest surprises for me is how huge tennis is overseas. It’s not even one of the top three top sports in the United States. The Australian people really started to cheer for me as one of their own as I went deeper and deeper in the tournament. It’s crazy. I am so far from home, but people know how I am.
As Shelton mentioned, the realization was a rather quick one. His first big event outside of the United States was the Australian Open and he had a really strong start here.
Many Australians backed him while he was there as he continued to experience love for the sport. That didn't change once he touched down in Europe, and his title run in Tokyo later in the year certainly proved it right for Asia as well.
This upcoming season will be his second time experiencing that so it won't be a surprise this time around.
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