The Laver Cup 2024 didn’t disappoint as the tournament went down to the wire. Each player suiting up for the event, played a huge role in making the seventh edition of the exhibition competition a success. However, no players were as entertaining as Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton were over the weekend.
There is no denying that Alcaraz and Shelton were the two best players in the contest in Berlin. The American won three out of the five matches in which he stepped foot on the court, bagging six out of Team World’s 11 total points. Whereas, the El Palmar native has often been regarded as the MVP, being responsible for winning 8 points across the three days.
On Day 2 of the contest, the two 21-year-olds also indulged in an action-packed duel as the second tie of the afternoon session. While the four-time Grand Slam winner did emerge victorious with a double 6-4 scoreline, the 103-minute bout left the tennis community amused.
Alcaraz and Shelton put on a show. pic.twitter.com/aKFNZmTxmU
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 21, 2024
Not just this past weekend, but Alcaraz and Shelton have been among the most exciting players on the tour in recent history. The southpaw leaves fans in awe with his extremely fast serves and powerful forehand. On the other hand, the former World No.1 can produce unimaginable shots regularly.
Before their contest at the Uber Arena, the two prodigies played against each other on merely one other occasion – a round-of-32 contest at the Canadian Open 2023.
With both expected to be among the top five ranked players soon, this matchup is anticipated to become one of the biggest modern-day rivalries. However, tennis enthusiasts are looking forward to the Garden Cup exhibition match scheduled to take place in New York later in the year.
Shelton, a future top 5 player, will face Alcaraz in an exhibition match
Ben Shelton’s underwhelming performance at the US Open 2024 resulted in him losing a significant amount of points. As a result of the same, the former Florida Gator tumbled down the ATP rankings. Despite being only the fifth-highest-ranked American on the tour, Ben was selected to participate in the showstopping match against Alcaraz at the Garden Cup 2024 on December 4th.
Shelton’s selected for the same due to his ability to entertain fans. Additionally, he also has the potential to elevate his game and grow into a top-five-ranked player in the future. John McEnroe is among the many well-wishers to believe the same.
During the clash against Alcaraz, the American legend expressed his admiration for Shelton.
McEnroe was heard motivating Shelton, “I believe you’re gonna be top five in the world, okay?”
He reiterated himself, displaying faith in the young gun once again during the postmatch interview.
“I see Ben in the top five in the world if he keeps progressing. I think he’s got the ability. He wants it. He’s worked at it. He’s better than he was to me a year ago, more complete,” McEnroe detailed.
If they maintain the same level, the two are potentially going to be among the highest-ranked players on tour in the coming years. Furthermore, given the similar age brackets, Shelton and Alcaraz will undoubtedly battle it out against each other on numerous occasions across their careers.
