Ben Shelton is one of the players not afraid to speak up, and he did just that during his press conference ahead of this year's US Open.
Shelton is an outspoken player. Whether it's confronting his rivals or speaking about important issues, the American player is never afraid to say what he really thinks.
That's an important personality trait in the world of professional sports, as athletes often have to face uncomfortable questions from the press, and being able to speak up can help them deal with such situations with ease.
Shelton encountered one such moment during his press conference ahead of the 2025 US Open. Fellow ATP player, Jack Draper, came to New York with a new clothing sponsor, switching from Nike to Vuori.
One of the reporters at Shelton's press conference wanted to draw a parallel between Draper's move to Vuori and Shelton's partnership with On, which is a company backed by Roger Federer.
"We've seen, this week, Jack Draper switched his clothing manufacturer. I just wanted, for you, what do you get from being, or what do you get out of the On partnership, and how important that sort of thing is to you as tennis players."
Shelton didn't understand the question or where the reporter drew the parallel, asking them to repeat the question. The reporter repeated the question, asking the World No. 6 player what he gets from his partnership with On.
"Basically, your sponsorship with On is kind of similar move that Jack's made, he's gone from Nike to Vuori. And I just wonder, for you, how important that sponsorship that you have with On is, what you get from it, compared to being with a different brand."
Shelton, however, didn't like that question. In his eyes, the way the question was asked belittled his current sponsor, making it seem as if the American was sponsored by some small company.
"So, On is not a big company? Did you see the earnings report a couple of weeks ago? Is not Nike or Adidas? Sorry, man. I don't like that question."
Shelton is now ready to challenge for his maiden Grand Slam
Until recently, the biggest title of Shelton's tennis career was an ATP 500 trophy from Tokyo, which he won in 2023. A few weeks ago, the 22-year-old changed that, winning the Canadian Open in Toronto.
Now, he will enter the US Open as one of the dark horses, and as he has shown many times during his tennis career, he is not afraid to challenge the best players in the world on the biggest stage.
"This is the biggest tournament of the year for me. This is the one. I put a lot of work into being in a good place when I got here. Feeling confident about my game. Feel really good and prepared going into this tournament."
"I think I'm an entertainer at heart. But I have kind of figured out what state I need to be in to be locked in but also having fun at the same time. I'm never going to be the guy who is able to robotically go about my business and not change expression or show any emotion. I think that I play better when I do show some emotion."
Write a comment
Popular News
Just In
