Tennis, a beautiful chaos where players chase greatness, dare to rewrite history, and yet sometimes, the dream crumbles in the blink of an eye. Just ask Ben Shelton. Alongside Taylor Fritz, he carried the weight of the American dream at Wimbledon, a dream rooted in history, last fulfilled by Pete Sampras in 2000. A 25-year drought stood between the stars and glory. But the fairytale ended too soon. Shelton’s latest dismantling at the hands of Italy’s Jannik Sinner crushed those hopes, with Fritz left in the semis. Still, in true champion spirit, Ben Shelton looks past the Jannik Sinner defeat to set eyes on bigger goals at the US Open.
There are only two men who’ve stopped Shelton in Grand Slams this year: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. That’s both a badge of honour and a brutal reminder. At Wimbledon, it was another harsh chapter in this déjà vu. Sinner sent Shelton packing in straight sets: 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4. Just like that, another Slam gone. Jannik Sinner shook off pre-match injury fears to deliver a statement quarter-final victory against Ben Shelton on Wednesday afternoon at Wimbledon. And he didn’t flinch. The world No. 1 stood tall, locked in, and methodically shut down the Americans’ artillery in two hours and 19 minutes on No. 1 Court.
Yet, Shelton isn’t sulking in the shadows. He’s already plotting his next storm. That chapter is closed. What lies ahead is New York. The lights, the noise, the pressure, that’s the stage Ben Shelton wants. He’s been tested by the best. And now, he’s sharpening his blade for the final major of the year.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ben Shelton didn’t flinch when asked about the silver linings after his defeat to Sinner. With grit in his voice, he said, “Yeah no, feeling more comfortable on grass for sure, the way I’m moving, the way I’m returning you know, hitting the ball from the ground, it’s better, it’s not where I wanted to be, but you know, I have six weeks to do everything humanly possible, be ready and better at the US Open. That’s my favourite tournament of the year. Going after it.” The fire’s still burning, and the hunt is far from over.
(The story continues…)
The post Ben Shelton Vows ‘Everything Humanly Possible’ as Jannik Sinner Shocker Sparks US Open Shift appeared first on EssentiallySports.