Ben Shelton could not achieve the same success during the US Open 2024 that he witnessed in the 2023 edition of the Grand Slam. Due to a shocking third-round defeat at Flushing Meadows, Shelton lost a significant number of points and has fallen to the 17th spot on the ATP rankings.
Despite the disappointment, the 21-year-old remains one of the most popular figures in the American tennis community and has fans excited for his upcoming clash against Carlos Alcaraz at the Garden Cup 2024.
Shelton now trails Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, and Frances Tiafoe as the fifth-highest-ranked American player on the tour. However, the organizers of the exhibition tournament chose the former Florida Gator to participate in the showstopper event on December 4. Shelton promoting the inaugural tournament more than 10 weeks in advance doesn’t come as a surprise.
“Let’s light it up @thegarden I hope to see an electric New York crowd come out to support on December 4th,” Shelton captioned his Instagram post.
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Alcaraz also seems to be looking forward to the event, considering he liked the same post within minutes of it being uploaded.
Considering how entertaining their lone encounter was and the form that the two players have been in, tennis enthusiasts can expect an action-packed thriller between the American and the Spaniard.
Alcaraz has a 1-0 head-to-head advantage over Shelton
Despite the two often making deep runs in tournaments, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton haven’t faced each other this 2024 season. In fact, throughout their careers, the youngsters met each other on just one occasion.
During the North American swing in 2023, Alcaraz and Shelton left fans in awe with their nearly 100-minute-long match. Playing against each other in the Canadian Open’s Round of 32, the El Palmar native clinched a 6-3, 7-6 victory.
Apart from the Shelton-Alcaraz battle, fans present at the MSG will also be treated to an All-American singles duel between Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula.
From what the success of the Netflix Slam and other exhibition tournaments suggests, the Garden Cup 2024 can have a great turnout. With tennis returning to Madison Square Garden after six years, this event has the potential to make the Garden Cup a permanent addition to the arena’s calendar.
