Bryan Shelton, coach and father of Ben Shelton, spoke about his son’s 2023 US Open campaign and the semi-final against Novak Djokovic in an exclusive interview with Ubitennis. He also revealed to the Italian media outlet what the young American did after losing to the eventual champion.
Shelton made headlines after reaching a final four as an unseeded rookie. However, Djokovic’s win and subsequent record title triumph took away all the attention from the local lad’s run. Regardless, Bryan Shelton said his son learnt from the defeat and kept working on himself. It showed in the good form Ben displayed after the Slam in New York.
Father reveals what Ben Shelton did after his 2023 US Open loss to Novak Djokovic
Bryan Shelton, a former player himself, talked about his son’s ascending career in an exclusive interview with Ubitennis. Ben had a breakthrough season in 2023, making everyone sit up and take notice after making it to the semi-finals of the US Open. Bryan discussed the clash against Djokovic, the biggest match of Ben’s career so far.
The senior Shelton was asked whether Ben was apologetic after the loss or satisfied with giving his best and raring to improve. He said it was the latter, saying his son felt very positive about the tournament. According to Bryan, Ben was very confident against Djokovic because he had won five fixtures on the trot in the US Open.
“Coming there and winning all those matches in a row (five) gave him confidence. And playing against Djokovic with confidence, I think it was fantastic. “
He said Ben was defeated by a ‘great champion’, so there was a lot to learn for him from the match. He revealed that the 21-year-old watched highlights and videos of the match to introspect and improve his game. Bryan said Ben’s goal is to win such high-stakes games in the future by identifying areas to improve and working on them.
“He lost the match, against a great champion. So I think he just learned from the match, he went back and watched the video, he really had time after the US Open to reflect on what he needs to do to continue to improve so that he can one day win those types of matches.
“Identifying the things he can do better. And then go back to work.”
Djokovic went on to win the Grand Slam title, a record 24th for him. There was surely a lot for Ben Shelton to learn from facing such a legendary player. He seems to have picked up the positives and have moved on from the defeat. He has looked like a better and more evolved player since.
How Shelton has bounced back after the defeat in New York
Shelton has been on a mission to prove that his 2023 US Open run was no flash in the pan. He was picked to represent Team World in the 2023 Laver Cup but his selection was met with negative reception. He won all three of his matches in the team competition, finishing with a 6-0 points tally to silence his critics.
The American then embarked on his maiden Asian swing, participating in the Shanghai Masters. He earned arguably the second-biggest win of his career, defeating Jannik Sinner in the Round of 16. He was, however, defeated by compact Sebastian Korda in a historic quarter-final for American tennis.
The crowning moment for Shelton’s breakthrough 2023 season came at the ATP 500 Japan Open. He lifted his first-ever ATP title after defeating Aslan Karatsev in the final in Tokyo. Having risen to World No.15, he is within touching distance of leapfrogging fellow Americans Frances Tiafoe (No.14) and Tommy Paul (No.12). World No.9 Taylor Fritz is the best player from the USA, but Shelton can usurp him as well. With his much-improved performances and a penchant to grab headlines, he could become the Global superstar American tennis has been looking for for years.
