Ben Shelton was a breath of fresh air in his first full season on the ATP Tour, and he was pumped right from the first ball.
Shelton's rise was sporadic, but it had plenty of learning lessons, which Andy Roddick so perfectly summed up when assessing his 2023 season. Shelton was ranked as low as 96th when he rubberstamped his passport for the first time in his life to play tennis tournaments outside the USA.
With his father as his right-hand man, the season didn't begin on a high note, with two defeats in his first three matches. But a compelling Australian Open in which he reached the quarterfinals was the grandest and most appropriate way possible to announce his name.
As far as introductions go, it is tough to dispute Shelton was the ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2023. Here's why:
Year-End Ranking: 17th
Overall, it was a rollercoaster year for American men's tennis. They lost some of its seasoned campaigners to retirement, notably John Isner and Jack Sock. But quite a handful of names stepped up, and one of those was Ben Shelton.
In fact, Shelton's rise was so rapid that his father, Bryan, could no longer fulfill his role as Florida Gators' men's tennis coach and chose to coach his son on a full-time basis.
He resigned from his position after 11 years of awesome work, which included guiding them to their first NCAA championship in 2021 (his son played a part in it).
Young Shelton ended up living the dream in his first season on the ATP Tour vaulting from 96th in the rankings (made his Top 100 debut last autumn) to inside the Top 20. The man himself lacked the words to describe his 2023 season.
Season's Accomplishments: First Grand Slam Semifinal, First ATP Title
Shelton's year began with that career-altering run at the Australian Open. He reached the quarterfinal stage, and many people started tipping their hats for him. He was arguably the most exciting thing in American men's tennis in a long time.
But that good form soon dissipated as he struggled to win matches regularly for nearly the entire year. But it all changed at the US Open, where he made his first Grand Slam semifinal and subsequently broke the ATP's Top 20 for the first time.
But that wasn't the crowning moment in his season. Shelton surpassed expectations during his first trip to Asia. He reached his first Masters quarterfinal in Shanghai, scoring a career-best win over Jannik Sinner in the process.
He signed off the season by winning a maiden ATP title in Tokyo. Shelton earned the most points of any American man in the second half of the 2023 season, sitting ahead of the likes of Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe.
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