Tracy Austin Reveals Why Ben Shelton is Tennis' Next Big Thing
ATPTuesday, 21 March 2023 at 04:20
Updated at Wednesday, 26 March 2025 at 16:18
Ben Shelton is an extremely exciting tennis player, and even former WTA World No. 1 player, Tracy Austin, thinks that he is one to watch.
Shelton left the United States for the first time this year, and his travel out of the country was worth it, as he reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. He is the player that everyone has been talking about, and Shelton seems to be ready for the challenge.
He is an incredibly exciting player to watch for many reasons, and that's why Tracy Austin talked about him during a recent interview with Tennis.com.
Austin had only words of praise for the young American talent. He is a very special player because he is left-handed and has a huge serve and a big forehand.
" One of the great stories already of 2023 has been the meteoric rise of Ben Shelton. He was playing challengers in the fall last year, and now at the Australian Open got all the way to quarterfinals and has cracked into the Top 50."
"Absolutely love his game. It's. Been fun to watch him through college, through the futures, the challengers, and now to where he is in the thick of it. He's got a massive lefty serve. The leftiness is a huge advantage, a huge forehand as well."
At the same time, Austin was able to recognize some areas in which Shelton could improve. Like many players, he isn't so strong from his backhand side.
"The backhand is improved, and maybe the thing that I like the most is that he already, at such a young age, has an all-court game, and I would give a lot of credit to his dad, Bryan, for developing every area of the court. I love his demeanor."
"He's got enough energy. It's almost like he skipped a few grades. He's gone from sixth grade to high school because when you're playing challengers in the fall and now all of a sudden you're gonna be going off to Europe for the first time and you're playing on red clay against the grinders."
Still, Austin is very excited about seeing a prospect like Shelton, as she knows that US tennis is in need of a talented player. She thinks his first weeks on the ATP Tour have been a great success and laid an important foundation.
"But this is part of the process, gain that experience is starting to feel more comfortable. In the Top 50 break into the Top 30. I think he has that capability. He's got a great foundation. Excited to see where Ben's game goes."
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