WATCH: Ben Shelton Slams Opponent As 'So Soft' After Heated Monte-Carlo Doubles Match
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Ben Shelton's doubles match alongside Rohan Bopanna at the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori ended with a confrontation at the net, and the American did not mince his words.
Shelton and Bopanna seemed to be crashing towards a heavy defeat when they found themselves 2-6, 1-4 down, but they staged a dramatic recovery to edge out the Italians 2-6, 7-6, 10-7 in front of the loud fans on Court EA de Massy.
However, Vavassori did not like Shelton's shot selection during that comeback. He accused the 22-year-old of consistently aiming at his body, a tactic that some deem unsportsmanlike if done often when other options are available.
Vavassori might have expected an apology or some regret from Shelton, but the opposite happened. The video below shows how dismissive this year's Australian Open semifinalist was of the complaints.
Shelton pulled his top up and did not hide that he was aiming for Vavassori's chest. He then told the Italian that aiming for the body was part of the game and said tennis balls were not as painful to be hit by as baseballs.
"[Points to his abdomen) Centre of the chest. It's tennis bro, it's not baseball."
After walking away from Vavassori while Bopanna continued to speak to the agitated Italian, Shelton told his team that Vavassori and Bolelli were "so soft", seemingly surprised by how they reacted at the net.
Shelton then shouted "vamos" at the crowd, who responded with a loud cheer. The young ATP star often shouts that during his matches after winning a point, game, or set, despite not being Spanish.
Bopanna, who had finished his brief chat with Vavassori, gave Shelton a high-five as they went to pack their bags. The American then laughed and told Bopanna that Vavassori's complaints were "crazy."
Although Vavassori's frustration is understandable, Shelton is also correct that aiming at an opponent's body at the net is a legitimate tactic, especially in a doubles match when there is more net play than in a singles contest.
This is not the first time Shelton has irritated an opponent. At the 2025 Mexican Open, David Goffin was left irritated when he loudly celebrated the Belgian shanking an attempted forehand into the air.
Unlike Bolelli and Vavassori, Goffin had the last laugh. After winning the next point, he pointedly celebrated wildly before laughing with his team and went on to triumph in straight sets.
The most infamous case of Shelton angering an opponent came at the 2023 US Open, when Novak Djokovic mimicked his celebration of answering a phone to indicate he was dialed in.
Djokovic later said Shelton had not shown appropriate respect during the match and felt that making a point with the celebration was justified. The Serbian went on to win the US Open, his most recent Grand Slam title.
In stark contrast to that glory, Djokovic produced a bad performance against Alejandro Tabilo on Wednesday in Monte-Carlo. It was so bad that the 24-time Grand Slam champion felt the need to apologize to the fans.
