In an interview with The New York Times before the 2023 Laver Cup, young American Ben Shelton acknowledged the people questioning his inclusion. He was picked for Team World by captain John McEnroe, but many doubted if the 20-year-old deserved the call-up. He dispelled all questions by getting his team off to a winning start.
Shelton has had a meteoric rise in 2023. He broke into the top 20 after going deep in two Grand Slam tournaments. He has rightfully earned his place in the Laver Cup. Not only does he bring great tennis to the court, but also adds high entertainment value to every match he plays.
Ben Shelton out to justify his Laver Cup selection
Shelton is the lowest-ranked of all four Americans in the 2023 Laver Cup. He rose to World No.19 after a semi-final finish at the 2023 US Open. Before that, the big-serving American was ranked No.46. Fans did not take kindly to his inclusion as a captain’s pick in Team World. They said other higher-ranked players could have been chosen instead.
Talking to The New York Times, Shelton admitted to feeling the need to prove that he deserves his Laver Cup spot. He said he saw people on Instagram mocking his selection after the teams were announced, questioning his inclusion. The youngster said he wanted to show these doubters that his place in the elite competition was justified.
“When the announcement first came out, I saw all these comments on Instagram, like, ‘Why did you take him? Why? Why this guy? There’s so many higher-ranked players. I wanted to show people that maybe I deserved to be on the team.”
Other than his ranking, many tennis fans seem to have issues with Shelton’s attitude. He has been called ‘unlikable’ and ‘cringe’ by people as a section of fans see his cockiness as a problem. Many have their reservations about him, but it seemingly does not matter to Shelton. He continues to live and play in his own way and it looks to be working well for him.
Shelton pumped to play team events
The 2023 Laver Cup kicked off with a match between Shelton and Arthur Fils of Team Europe. The former defeated the Frenchman 6–7 (4-7), 1–6 to open the account for his team. Shelton is not unfamiliar with team tournaments, having played in the NCAA system in the USA. He helped his institute, the University of Florida, to the 2021 NCAA team championship. He also won the singles championship during his time in university.
During the US Open, he discussed participating in a team event after university. Shelton said he was excited to be a part of a team for the first time after completing coach.
“I’m pretty pumped to be in the team atmosphere. First team competition I’ve been part of since I left college. I’m going to be just as amped and emotional in Vancouver as I was here (US Open).”
Shelton teamed up with Felix Auger-Aliassime to beat Hubert Hurkacz and Gael Monfils in their doubles fixture, the last match of Day 2. With the final day left, Team World is leading 10-2 and looks likely to defend their title. The first fixture on Day 3 will also see Shelton take the court, pairing up with Frances Tiafoe against Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev.
