Shelton 'Not Gonna Be Able To Sleep' After The Garden Cup Loss To Alcaraz
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Ben Shelton lost to Carlos Alcaraz in The Garden Cup, and he explained the significance of the loss afterward.
With the 2024 season over only recently and the 2025 season right around the corner, the tennis players found themselves at the time of the year when they are already preparing for the new season, without too many competitive matches available to practice their craft.
That's why many opt to compete in exhibition events, and one such event took place at the Madison Square Garden in New York when some of the ATP and WTA players clashed in The Garden Cup.
In the women's competition, Emma Navarro bested Jessica Pegula, and in the men's match, Carlos Alcaraz outplayed Ben Shelton to lift the trophy above his head.
Although there wasn't much at stake, and both players wanted to mostly practice their game and also entertain the crowd, they are very competitive people in nature, which is why they both certainly wanted to win.
That showed also on the tennis court, as the match proved to be a real rollercoaster. Shelton won the opening set of the match 6-4 before Alcaraz stormed back in the second one, winning it 6-2.
A tie-break then decided the match, with the 21-year-old Spaniard taking it 7-4 to win the match. Speaking to Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj on the court right after the match, Shelton was happy to be part of the great event.
"It means a lot. We didn't just play at the MSG (Madison Square Garden) tonight, the four of us, we sold it out. [Cheers] I'm just happy to be part of it, guys like Carlos [Alcaraz], and girls like Emma [Navarro] and Jess [Pegula], so fun to be around them, play alongside them."
At the same time, the young American player admitted that the loss was disappointing for him and joked that he wouldn't be able to sleep because of it.
"Tough one at the end for me tonight, this one's gonna sting, not gonna be able to sleep tonight after this one, it was fun, I hope you guys had a lot of fun, because I really enjoyed myself out here.
Alcaraz, on the other hand, as a victor of the match, wasn't so focused on the result itself but entertaining the crowd inside of Madison Square Garden.
He was happy to produce some spectacular shots on the way to his victory and, at the same time, praised his opponent's qualities. According to the young Spaniard, it's even easier to produce spectacular shots against someone who can match his level.
"I'm trying to make people enjoy watching tennis. I just try to put the best of myself on the court, try to play great shots, great points when I'm playing against Ben, it's even easier to do it, because the game he has is unbelievable."
While Shelton will now want to start focusing on the 2025 season, Alcaraz will move to Charlotte in North Carolina because he has another exhibition match planned there against Frances Tiafoe.
