Ben Shelton has been regarded as a promising player. Shelton’s deep runs in the Australian Open 2023 and the US Open 2023 got several enthusiasts and pundits to believe that he’s the next big thing for American tennis. However, having won merely 1 ATP title despite being a part of the tour for almost two years, Shelton is in dire need of an exceptional performance in an ATP Masters 1000.
However, fans of the southpaw can expect the title drought to continue since he’s not received a favorable draw for the Miami Open 2024. Being the 16th seed, the third highest-seeded American in the ATP 1000 tournament, Ben Shelton is in the top half of the draw and is also being given a first-round bye. Shelton’s first match in Florida will be the Round of 64 tie possibly against Spain’s Jaume Munar on Friday afternoon.
As his third round tie, the University of Florida alum will be matched up against Lorenzo Musetti. Considering Shelton’s respectable form, he’ll be expected to cruise past the Italian. But in the fourth round of the tournament, things become extremely challenging for the 21-year-old as he’ll have to face the wrath of Carlos Alcaraz.
If Shelton does manage to shock the Indian Wells 2024 winner and prevent Alcaraz from winning the Sunshine Double, he’ll proceed to the quarterfinals where #8 Hubert Hurkacz will be expected to face him.
Either Holger Rune or Alexander Zverev are touted to make their way into the semifinals against a potential clash against Shelton. After orchestrating a third upset in a row, Ben will find himself playing in his first ATP Masters 1000 finals where he will most probably have to face Jannik Sinner.
This is what Ben Shelton’s path to the finals looks like:
First Round – Bye
Second Round – Jaume Munar
Third Round – Lorenzo Musetti
Fourth Round – Carlos Alcaraz
Quarter-Final – Hubert Hurkacz
Semi-Final – Alexander Zverev / Holger Rune
Final – Jannik Sinner
How has Ben Shelton performed so far in the 2024 season?
This 2024 season, Ben Shelton has participated in significantly more tournaments than his fellow countrymen – Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul. And his performance in the first three and a half months has been mediocre, at best.
Following a first round loss in the Brisbane International, Shelton was stunned by Japan’s Taro Daniel in the semifinals of the ASB Classic. The American had yet another disappointing showing, suffering a shocking loss against Adrian Mannarino in a five-set thriller at the Australian Open third round.
Since then, Shelton has only played in the American region – semifinals at the Dallas Open, quarterfinals at the Acapulco Open, and fourth round in the Indian Wells.
Ben Shelton might not be expected to win it all in Miami. But, American tennis enthusiasts expect the youngster to showcase a strong display till at least the fourth round.
