Ben Shelton Blames ‘Yonex Clause’ for Not Breaking Rackets Like Rafael Nadal

Ben Shelton has already stood out for his flamboyancy both on and off the court in a young career so far. The American has hardly shown his frustration, so one would naturally assume that he has never broken rackets because of that. However, the youngster shed light on this topic, revealing the real reason behind the same.

Shelton has been a Yonex guy since the start of his career. He has been satisfied with the quality of the rackets. However, what many didn’t know earlier is that Yonex has a clause that fines its players a huge penalty for smashing rackets on the court. And that has prevented the 21-year-old from breaking any of them, while many of his competitors do so.

When asked by a reporter, “How many times have you broken your racket out of frustration?”, Shelton answered:

“My racket company (Yonex) fines you for every racket you break. I’m gonna say, as a professional, I haven’t broken any,” the former Florida Gator answered in an interview with Bleacher Report.

Apart from being a southpaw and having a great physique, with the virtue of not breaking his racket, Shelton has given fans another reason to compare him to Rafael Nadal.

Nadal has always been respected for his on-court demeanor. He is one of the most distinguished players in history to have broken no racket throughout his two-decade-long career.

The former American No.1 player also displayed the respect that he has for his opponents as he was seen hyping Frances Tiafoe after suffering a loss against the latter.

Shelton is hyped for an all-American semi-final at the US Open 2024

Shelton holds all his competitors in high regard. However, he displayed the camaraderie that is shared between the American players after a third-round loss against Tiafoe.

Instead of being sour, the World No.13 embraced Big Foe in a heartwarming post-match interaction. Knowing that Tiafoe has had a subpar performance in the 2024 season, Shelton put his sportsmanship to show by hyping his compatriot.

Shelton further expressed his admiration for his countrymen by reposting a USTA graphic, which hyped up the all-American semifinal between Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz. While Shelton would’ve loved to be part of the clash, he will most definitely continue supporting his peers on Friday.