Shelton Is Misunderstood Says Courier As Spat With Djokovic Takes New Twist
ATP
Ben Shelton is one the most talented young players in men's tennis and whose ascent has got everyone talking, particularly in the USA, where he is touted as a potential Grand Slam champion.
In his young career, he's been able to fast-track his rise into the upper echelons of the sport. After a successful season on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2022, Shelton took a deep dive into full-time tennis, and that decision has certainly been the right one.
In his first season on the main tour, Shelton impressed in tournaments like the Australian Open and US Open, where he made the second week. At his home Slam, he reached the semifinals and only lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
That run, however, proved career-defining for Shelton, who broke the world's Top 20 for the first time, and pundits like Andy Roddick tip him to enjoy even greater success in 2024 and in the years to come. Shelton also won his first tour-level title last season, joining his father, Bryan, on the ATP winners' list.
Shelton has been synonymous with being so energetic on the court and tends to bring this swashbuckling style that resonates with the younger and growing audience in men's tennis. But he's also earned a few detractors because of it, one of whom is Novak Djokovic.
The Serb has been critical of Shelton during his recent interview, where he revisited an episode of their clash at the US Open last season. Djokovic mimicked Shelton's signature phone celebration and retracted from his statement of being fond of it.
Instead, Djokovic ignited a spat, accusing the 21-year-old of being provocative before and during the match. Shelton was not interested in delving into that conversation when asked about it, and fellow American Jim Courier has defended his antics, believing he is misunderstood.
"I would go with misunderstood. I think that Ben (Shelton) is a confident young man and has a lot of swagger on the court. I think some people might not take to that, but a lot of people do. I think if you get to know him personally, I think you’ll fall in love with him."— Courier during an interview on The Age
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- Kyrgios will do anything to stay in the news.shirley19-12-2024
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MrMustard18-12-2024 - All that is said , all that is done. Nick has 0 grand slams wins. Everything else is hot 🥵 air.MrMustard18-12-2024
- All that is said , all that isMrMustard18-12-2024
- Kyrgios is a jerk.shirley17-12-2024
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Stella112-12-2024 - All players should be treated the same for taking banned substances, if your no 1 in the world or no 300 man or woman you should not be allowed to keep playing,,VPH108-12-2024
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