Ben Shelton

bogdan101 said:
I saw Shelton several times rolling a ball against his chest before a first serve against Thompson in Dallas. Glad Paul took him out.
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That seemed more like an off day than Tommy Paul taking anybody out. :giggle:

No, but he made the semis in singles and doubles. So maybe that was a bit more tennis than he was ready for in his first tournament back after a couple of weeks off. And he got in enough matches, so all in all a decent week.

Either way, I think he has like 350 points to defend between now and the US Open. So steady as she goes. The long game. Of course, there's not a whole lot of room in the top-10, but if Ben isn't in the top-10 by the end of the year then this year I think could be considered a bit of a disappointment.

And he is 21 and has been on tour for a full year, so he better hurry up because he's running out of time. :giggle:
 
Nostradamus said:
gassed ?? NO. novak is still in good shape,, his hand eye coordination and his footwork is now worse than before and getting worse every year. and it shows big time against top guys that hit Rockets from the baseline
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Novak is not done winning slams. Wimbledon beckons.
 
KantenKlaar said:
Can we discount Shelton? I see him being a factor at the US Open.
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I'm thinking he's going to get to the finals. He got to the semis last year and I think he's going to be a much better player this year.

He was still learning last year...


And surely the USTA are going to cook the draw. :giggle:

I mean, come on, that would be stupid not to. And I'm thinking that he will be top-10 by the US Open, because he has really nothing to defend between now and then. And I'm assuming he's going to go deep in every tournament that he plays this year. He lost his first match of the year, then a semifinal. Lost to Mannarino in Australia in kind of a bad loss. And then another semifinal.

He plays next in Acapulco where he lost to Rune in three in the first round last year. So any win there is free points. And in Indian Wells he lost to Taylor in three in the second round last year, surely he's going to do better this year. And he lost his first match in Miami last year, so free points there too.

So it shouldn't be that hard to fix it for someone in the top-10.

(And please do this, USTA. Because what's the point of being a home slam if you can't get favorable treatment? The French would do it.) :giggle:
 
Sipho said:
I mean, come on, that would be stupid not to. And I'm thinking that he will be top-10 by the US Open, because he has really nothing to defend between now and then. And I'm assuming he's going to go deep in every tournament that he plays this year. He lost his first match of the year, then a semifinal. Lost to Mannarino in Australia in kind of a bad loss. And then another semifinal.
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Top 10 by the Us Open is quite a prediction for a guy which has one of the weakest return games on the tour and hasn't done well on clay. Of course it is possible, it's tennis, but I wonder how he is dealing with a more prepared field.

I actually like Shelton as a player, a big lefty server brings a sparkle to many a match.
 
Let the first semi-serious injury come along and his physical play style is done.
Big credits for what he has achieved so far with his incomplete limited tennis.
 
As a lefty and American, I'm rooting for Shelton but I know he doesn't have the most complete game.
I'd love for someone like Brad Gilbert to help him strategize and maximize his potential.
 
Rovesciarete said:
Top 10 by the Us Open is quite a prediction for a guy which has one of the weakest return games on the tour and hasn't done well on clay. Of course it is possible, it's tennis, but I wonder how he is dealing with a more prepared field.

I actually like Shelton as a player, a big lefty server brings a sparkle to many a match.
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It is tennis. All it seems to take are a couple of good runs and you're there. (And a good Indian Wells and a good Miami and he's almost there.)

And he got to #15 in the world after his first full year on tour. What took the other Americans 5 or 6 years to do, he did in one. That's pretty good.

And he's learning, he'll get better...


And the serve, yeah. You can't really prepare too much for 140, and the lefty slice in the ad that you can't touch...


And take a few cuts on the other guy's serve and who's going to beat you?

Bring that "boom" and the "bap" and you're top-10. :giggle:

But yeah, Ben is fun, so hopefully he continues to get better. And he may not be top-10 by the US Open, but he'll be like #12 or something, you would think, and that's good enough to get to Wednesday in the second week. And anything can happen after that. You can easily be playing Friday and Sunday after that.

And, of course, the Big Nick himself...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1732490507996250444

"It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine... "


I want to be Ben Shelton's hype man. 2024 is the year. Let's go. "Yeah!!! C'Mon!!!" :laughing:

Roforot said:
As a lefty and American, I'm rooting for Shelton but I know he doesn't have the most complete game.
I'd love for someone like Brad Gilbert to help him strategize and maximize his potential.
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Brad already said what he would do. He said that he would tell Ben to bring the heat every time. We know Brad.

He wants the "boom" every time.
 
Sipho said:
It is tennis. All it seems to take are a couple of good runs and you're there. (And a good Indian Wells and a good Miami and he's almost there.)

And he got to #15 in the world after his first full year on tour. What took the other Americans 5 or 6 years to do, he did in one. That's pretty good.

And he's learning, he'll get better...


And the serve, yeah. You can't really prepare too much for 140, and the lefty slice in the ad that you can't touch...


And take a few cuts on the other guy's serve and who's going to beat you?

Bring that "boom" and the "bap" and you're top-10. :giggle:

But yeah, Ben is fun, so hopefully he continues to get better. And he may not be top-10 by the US Open, but he'll be like #12 or something, you would think, and that's good enough to get to Wednesday in the second week. And anything can happen after that. You can easily be playing Friday and Sunday after that.

And, of course, the Big Nick himself...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1732490507996250444

"It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine... "


I want to be Ben Shelton's hype man. 2024 is the year. Let's go. "Yeah!!! C'Mon!!!" :laughing:


Brad already said what he would do. He said that he would tell Ben to bring the heat every time. We know Brad.

He wants the "boom" every time.
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his toss worries me, seems too much over his head, not far enough out to the side...puts strain on the shoulder...already getting treatment pretty consistently, he's got those cupping marks at every tournament.
 
Jono123 said:
He comes across a little cocky to me. Could only imagine what he's be like if he started winning.
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He is trying to play tennis the American football way. He will learn that it will not work soon. He is smart and always has a smile on his face. He will tone it down and hopefully, hopefully not go the Krgyios way. He has had several close matches now, only a matter of time before he scores a big win.
 
Nostradamus said:
gassed ?? NO. novak is still in good shape,, his hand eye coordination and his footwork is now worse than before and getting worse every year. and it shows big time against top guys that hit Rockets from the baseline
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Agreed but he could not put a ball in play the first 2 sets, happens all the time to even the greats. Manipulator was so gassed he couldn't stand straight in the last 2 sets.
 
tennis24x7 said:
He is trying to play tennis the American football way. He will learn that it will not work soon. He is smart and always has a smile on his face. He will tone it down and hopefully, hopefully not go the Krgyios way. He has had several close matches now, only a matter of time before he scores a big win.
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Well, he is the only person other than Djokovic to beat Sinner since the US Open. And then he won his first tournament in Tokyo (a 500) the following week.

So kind of big, I guess. Big for his career so far, at least.

And I think he has to play the way he does. I don't think he moves well enough to grind points too often. Less side to side (east-west), and more coming forward (north-south) is the way that he'll have his most success, I think.

In American football parlance: hand him the ball and he's going up the middle. And if you can stop him, you stop him. And if you can't, he's running you over.

Power tennis, 2024 and 21st century style. And American style too, I guess.

And as far as Kyrgios: Ben is all celebratory. He doesn't have any of the negativity at the level that Kyrgios has. And honestly, I don't think his father would allow it. Nick's parents I'm assuming allowed him to be like the way he is. If Ben was going to be that way, he would probably already be that way now.

Just guessing here...

mental midget said:
his toss worries me, seems too much over his head, not far enough out to the side...puts strain on the shoulder...already getting treatment pretty consistently, he's got those cupping marks at every tournament.
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He's a little all over the place with everything. He's like a big baby deer out there or something. :giggle:

So far so good with the serve, though...


Overall, I don't think he's going to go out there and win tournaments every other week (not this year). If he does that he's going to be top-5 in the world.

No, I'm guessing quarters and semis for the most part. Maybe a final here and there. And considering he has virtually nothing to defend between now and the end of August, that should be enough for top-10.

Also curious to see how he's going to play on the grass this year. Last year was apparently the first time that he had ever not only played on grass but hit on grass...


He lost second round last year at Wimbledon. Let's see if he can maybe make it to the second Monday of Wimbledon this year?

Of course, if he's playing well enough to make it that far... a big left-handed serve at Wimbledon... :giggle:

Predictions are fun. Because if you're wrong, oh well. And if you're right, if you guess enough... great.
 
tennis24x7 said:
He is trying to play tennis the American football way. He will learn that it will not work soon. He is smart and always has a smile on his face. He will tone it down and hopefully, hopefully not go the Krgyios way. He has had several close matches now, only a matter of time before he scores a big win.
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Yes Im sure he will mature as he gets older.
 
Sipho said:
Well, he is the only person other than Djokovic to beat Sinner since the US Open. And then he won his first tournament in Tokyo (a 500) the following week.

So kind of big, I guess. Big for his career so far, at least.

And I think he has to play the way he does. I don't think he moves well enough to grind points too often. Less side to side (east-west), and more coming forward (north-south) is the way that he'll have his most success, I think.

In American football parlance: hand him the ball and he's going up the middle. And if you can stop him, you stop him. And if you can't, he's running you over.

Power tennis, 2024 and 21st century style. And American style too, I guess.

And as far as Kyrgios: Ben is all celebratory. He doesn't have any of the negativity at the level that Kyrgios has. And honestly, I don't think his father would allow it. Nick's parents I'm assuming allowed him to be like the way he is. If Ben was going to be that way, he would probably already be that way now.

Just guessing here...



He's a little all over the place with everything. He's like a big baby deer out there or something. :giggle:

So far so good with the serve, though...


Overall, I don't think he's going to go out there and win tournaments every other week (not this year). If he does that he's going to be top-5 in the world.

No, I'm guessing quarters and semis for the most part. Maybe a final here and there. And considering he has virtually nothing to defend between now and the end of August, that should be enough for top-10.

Also curious to see how he's going to play on the grass this year. Last year was apparently the first time that he had ever not only played on grass but hit on grass...


He lost second round last year at Wimbledon. Let's see if he can maybe make it to the second Monday of Wimbledon this year?

Of course, if he's playing well enough to make it that far... a big left-handed serve at Wimbledon... :giggle:

Predictions are fun. Because if you're wrong, oh well. And if you're right, if you guess enough... great.
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What I meant by the reference to American football is the celebrations that they do when they get a touchdown which rubs a lot of people the wrong way. It is not like a touchdown is as rare as a goal in actual football. But they celebrate like they achieved world peace or something.
The marks on his shoulder though are concerning as he seems to be getting treatment and may affect his serve. But he is young, so not much to worry about. This year will pretty much show us where he will land performance wise.
 
tennis24x7 said:
What I meant by the reference to American football is the celebrations that they do when they get a touchdown which rubs a lot of people the wrong way. It is not like a touchdown is as rare as a goal in actual football. But they celebrate like they achieved world peace or something.
The marks on his shoulder though are concerning as he seems to be getting treatment and may affect his serve. But he is young, so not much to worry about. This year will pretty much show us where he will land performance wise.
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Oh, you were talking about celebration. Never mind then... :giggle:

Rafa does way more than Ben. Do people have problems with his celebrations? From capri pant-wearing Rafa to today I've also been under the impression that everyone loved it? To each their own, I guess.

I was looking at some of the point from the US Open...


And it's like, okay???

And the phone thing against Francis, yeah...


Goofy to me, other than that, though... But yep, to each their own.

One thing about that, that may have been symbolic for Frances Tiafoe's career, because he hasn't really recovered since then. I never thought he was a top-10 player anyway. More like top-25 at best. So he's probably going to settle somewhere around there, I guess.

Anyway, I don't have any problems with anyone's celebrations. The only thing I don't like is the ear-cupping thing that a lot of players do (did), it looks stupid to me. The sooner players get tired of doing it and move on to something else the better, and it seems to be all-but gone now.

Ben's "YEAH!!! C'MON!!!" I absolutely love. I don't think that should ever go away or tone down. To each their own with that, though.

And the serve thing...

thegrio.com

Curious about Ben Shelton’s bruises in the US Open? Here's how athletes use alternative medicine

Athletes like Ben Shelton have used alternative medicine for years to protect their bodies, and so can you, regardless of your fitness levels.
thegrio.com thegrio.com

GettyImages-1663599362.jpg

In the relentless pursuit of excellence, athletes continually push the boundaries of their physical capabilities. But the road to athletic mastery is not without its challenges, and injuries are an inevitable part of the journey. Traditionally, athletes have relied on conventional physical therapy to recover from these setbacks and regain their competitive edge. However, when Ben Shelton walked onto the U.S. Open courts with cupping marks on his shoulder, the 20-year-old tennis phenomenon reignited the discussion about alternative therapy practices.
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Shelton joins a growing number of athletes venturing beyond the realm of traditional rehabilitation, seeking alternative approaches that offer unique benefits and accelerate their path to peak performance. So much so that athletic organizations like the NBA and NFL have invested in alternative health practices and platforms, making it accessible for more players.

“We are always seeking new knowledge, technique, and tools to ensure that NFL athletes are treated with the best possible care,” said NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills in a press release.
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As the demands of modern sports become increasingly intense, the quest for faster recovery, enhanced strength, and superior agility has led athletes to explore innovative and unconventional methods of physical therapy like cupping, acupuncture, and more. These alternative approaches, often inspired by ancient healing practices, are reshaping the way athletes recover and perform.
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Cupping​

Often recognized for the large circular bruises it leaves behind, cupping is a form of therapy believed to remove negative pressure from the body. This therapeutic practice reportedly dates back centuries and is most commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, unlike in Asian medicine, where cupping is used as part of health check-ups, athletes use cupping to address blood flow, muscle stiffness and pain and improve muscle regeneration between games.

Cupping therapy places special cups over the skin and uses heat or air to create suction, which pulls the skin and blood vessels. Shelton may have revived interest in the therapy, but Shaquille O’Neal documented going to an acupuncturist in 2000 for cupping treatments during his tenure with the L.A. Lakers.
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I have a decent serve. Obviously not at the level of Ben Shelton, but I know of this and I know people who have done it.

It's kind of a "to each their own" with that too. So yep, I'm not worried about it either.

www.atptour.com

Armed & Dangerous: Why Ben Shelton’s Serve Is Already Among World’s Best | ATP Tour | Tennis

Learn about the development of Ben Shelton's biggest weapon: his serve. The American will play Frances Tiafoe in the US Open quarter-finals. Bob Bryan, Feliciano Lopez, Bryan Shelton and Scott Perelman provide insight.
www.atptour.com www.atptour.com

And it will be a fun year watching Ben.

EDIT:

It was fun watching him go on clay for the first time last year...


It'll be fun to see how much he improves.

My top-three-must-see players on tour are Arthur Fils, Dimitrov and Ben. Ben is probably going to be my number #1-must-see pretty soon.
 
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Good post. I’m just surprised that Shelton is winning relative little despite that monster serve. As his father was a professional tennis player and his mother also from a tennis family I think we have a bit of a ‘free throw’ bias here.

This means that from a young age particular care was taken to learn how to throw or in this case how to serve. This could result in sustained outperformance but maybe not that much room to grow.

Ironically Fils is another player which might not have that much improvement left, and I was never big on Tiafoe while being critical about FAA and Shapo.
 
Sipho said:
Of course, if he's playing well enough to make it that far... a big left-handed serve at Wimbledon... :giggle:
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yeah for sure. that serve could definitely cause problems on the grass...also, not only is he a pretty solid volleyer, he's also quite athletic and covers the net, generally, quite well. being able to improvise up there, handle the touch shots etc is a big plus. i say this fully acknowledging it's a long shot, but...the guy could win wimbledon if he gets hot. stranger things have happened.
 
Rovesciarete said:
Good post. I’m just surprised that Shelton is winning relative little despite that monster serve. As his father was a professional tennis player and his mother also from a tennis family I think we have a bit of a ‘free throw’ bias here.

This means that from a young age particular care was taken to learn how to throw or in this case how to serve. This could result in sustained outperformance but maybe not that much room to grow.

Ironically Fils is another player which might not have that much improvement left, and I was never big on Tiafoe while being critical about FAA and Shapo.
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I'm just that opposite, I would be surprised if he were to win a lot right away. I mean, to just step on the tour and start beating people? A monster serve is a monster serve, but when it comes back you still have to win the point. And I think that's what they're working on now, because it obviously needs improving.

What he's done so far though is good enough, I think. A quarter, a semi, a 500 win, finish #15 in the world. That's pretty good for a first year. :giggle:

And yeah, Fils... how he has to win, by hitting big forehands, it can be done, but we'll see. I just like him because he's cool to me. For tennis I like Ben's upside better. I'm partial to people who attack. I likes that. I likey.

mental midget said:
yeah for sure. that serve could definitely cause problems on the grass...also, not only is he a pretty solid volleyer, he's also quite athletic and covers the net, generally, quite well. being able to improvise up there, handle the touch shots etc is a big plus. i say this fully acknowledging it's a long shot, but...the guy could win wimbledon if he gets hot. stranger things have happened.
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Yeah, Wimbledon I do think is a possibility in the next few years.

I think it would be the classic American way: Wimbledon and the US Open. That's his best chances. Australia too, I suppose, but I like Wimbledon and the US better for him.
 
Sipho said:
I'm just that opposite, I would be surprised if he were to win a lot right away. I mean, to just step on the tour and start beating people? A monster serve is a monster serve, but when it comes back you still have to win the point. And I think that's what they're working on now, because it obviously needs improving.

What he's done so far though is good enough, I think. A quarter, a semi, a 500 win, finish #15 in the world. That's pretty good for a first year. :giggle:

And yeah, Fils... how he has to win, by hitting big forehands, it can be done, but we'll see. I just like him because he's cool to me. For tennis I like Ben's upside better. I'm partial to people who attack. I likes that. I likey.


Yeah, Wimbledon I do think is a possibility in the next few years.

I think it would be the classic American way: Wimbledon and the US Open. That's his best chances. Australia too, I suppose, but I like Wimbledon and the US better for him.
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i agree but i think he could find success on the clay as well. his stroke production is reasonably 'classic,' can hit with good margin and rally tolerance has improved quite a bit. and that serve will kick like crazy on clay...goran had a good clay career, maybe ben could too.
 
mental midget said:
i agree but i think he could find success on the clay as well. his stroke production is reasonably 'classic,' can hit with good margin and rally tolerance has improved quite a bit. and that serve will kick like crazy on clay...goran had a good clay career, maybe ben could too.
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You're right.

And not to be too critical, but the courts are almost all the same now anyway. Paul Annacone was talking about that on Tennis Channel the other day: at Roland-Garros you stand a few feet further back than you would at Wimbledon. Other than that, one's red and one's green, but you still play pretty much your same game.

So yeah, there's no real reason why he couldn't do well on clay either. Other than I guess movement. But a good tennis player is good everywhere. And the serve, yes. Free points are free points all over the world.
 
jimdontcare said:
Be honest, how many here had "Shelton wins a clay court title" on your 2024 bingo cards
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I think he has a good game for clay. His serve is big enough to hit through the court/open huge angles and he has a heavy topspin FS, plus he competes/fights hard.

Wouldnt be surprised if he wins more.
 
Shaolin said:
I think he has a good game for clay. His serve is big enough to hit through the court/open huge angles and he has a heavy topspin FS, plus he competes/fights hard.

Wouldnt be surprised if he wins more.
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I agree mostly, would add his athleticism but caution that Ben wasn’t facing weight of shot. The lack of opposing power helped twofold as he could run around his backhand more, which isn’t that great on clay.
 
Rovesciarete said:
I agree mostly, would add his athleticism but caution that Ben wasn’t facing weight of shot. The lack of opposing power helped twofold as he could run around his backhand more, which isn’t that great on clay.
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Listened to Gill Gross now and wasn’t aware that he focused on tennis also a later than most. Not as extreme as Sinner but he seems to be trying out things more and learning them faster than guys his age.

Mixing it also up with the return position and I like that he wants to play clay. His lefty forehand might be truly the heaviest which will make it nasty for many weaker backhands. His return performance is obviously still the biggest worry.

P.S: Tactically I think that team Sinner didn’t expect such a level of serving and aggression as we have witnessed in Shanghai. In Vienna Ben‘s serving was curtailed by surface and Sinner adjustments.
 
Rovesciarete said:
Listened to Gill Gross now and wasn’t aware that he focused on tennis also a later than most. Not as extreme as Sinner but he seems to be trying out things more and learning them faster than guys his age.

Mixing it also up with the return position and I like that he wants to play clay. His lefty forehand might be truly the heaviest which will make it nasty for many weaker backhands. His return performance is obviously still the biggest worry.

P.S: Tactically I think that team Sinner didn’t expect such a level of serving and aggression as we have witnessed in Shanghai. In Vienna Ben‘s serving was curtailed by surface and Sinner adjustments.
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Do you think Shelton has improved satisfactory over the last year?
 
Sipho said:
You're right.

And not to be too critical, but the courts are almost all the same now anyway. Paul Annacone was talking about that on Tennis Channel the other day: at Roland-Garros you stand a few feet further back than you would at Wimbledon. Other than that, one's red and one's green, but you still play pretty much your same game.

So yeah, there's no real reason why he couldn't do well on clay either. Other than I guess movement. But a good tennis player is good everywhere. And the serve, yes. Free points are free points all over the world.
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I'm insanely jealous of your picture. Cool
 
Not sold on Shelton on clay just yet. Houston's surface is, I think, Har-Tru's "American Red." Not quite the same thing. All week I saw players struggling to slide into shots. After, yes, but not into shots.
 
KantenKlaar said:
Do you think Shelton has improved satisfactory over the last year?
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Did not pay enough attention to give a verdict. However he does try clearly different things which I like. One of the dangers of being a great server big forehand guys from early age is that you win on ‘easy’ mode.

Of course one the advantages is that ‘easy‘ mode so you can hold a lot easier than most and don’t need to break so often.
 
Honza said:
Still noone expected him to win a clay atp 250.
He is performing way above his skills and thats very impressive.
Look at Rune and how he is underperforming looking at his potential.
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made mention of it already but i think his clay potential is not to be underestimated. surprisingly good mover for his size, nice combo of power and touch, and has the hands to deal with weird bounces etc., and a little more time for stroke production can only help. and like i said, on clay that serve will have some serious movement on it.
 
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