There are some young American athletes who have become instant favorites among fans lately since their professional debuts. If you have a 23-year-old Caitlin Clark in the WNBA, tennis has got the 22-year-old Ben Shelton. Since getting attention due to his phenomenal US Open run in 2023 – where he became the youngest American to reach the semis since 1992 – his chemistry with the crowd has only grown stronger. Just days ago, the ATP pro witnessed a roaring reception – people stood in a long queue to greet him – from avid fans after his second round win in the BMW Open. In fact, a young kid was seen with a billboard in his hand and a bold message written over it: “Let’s Go Ben.” Seems like this bond with the crowd is more than special for Shelton.
After witnessing some turbulence in the Miami Open, where he was ousted in first round against a 173-ranked Coleman Wong, Shelton bounced back. At the Monte Carlo Masters, he showed a promising performance and reached the QF before losing to Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. However, the best run of his 2025 season came in the last event in Munich, where he reached the summit clash. Unfortunately, he lost against Alexander Zverev, who lifted his third trophy in Munich (after 2017 and 2018). But Shelton’s great form has continued this week, too, at the Madrid Open.
On Friday, he kickstarted his campaign by edging out Argentina’s Mariano Navone in R64. However, it wasn’t an easy victory. Shelton lost the first set, but a crucial source of inspiration worked wonders for him – the fans! The American chose to fight back. He managed to win the second set in a tiebreak. Not just that, but he eventually advanced with a final score line of 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3.
After the win, he sat down for an interaction with Tennis Channel, dated April 26, where Shelton revealed how his bond with the crowd during matches affects his game positively. When asked about “using the crowd,” the 22-year-old began, “Yeah, for me, I do have some focus issues. Everyone has a little bit, but I have a lot sometimes.”
Emphasizing on how he gets the boost from fans cheering in the stands, Shelton added, “For me, the crowd really helps me. It’s one of those things that kinda calms me and helps me have fun. I think when I’m taking it too serious or getting too upset after a lost point, I’m not playing my best. But when I can find that space where I’m having fun but competing hard, I play my best tennis.”
Coming back to the match, it was surely not easy, lasting for nearly two-and-a-half hours. However, Shelton used all he had to make a return against Navone. So what did he do exactly to emerge as the ultimate winner?
Ben Shelton spills the beans on his comeback win in the Madrid Open
The first set saw him standing nowhere after Navone took the lead. Ben Shelton, however, didn’t want to just give up before the result. “I had to start being more completely aggressive, playing at my 80 percent level without going above my ceiling,” said the No.12 seed, as reported by The Grandstand on April 25.
Continuing further, he added, “I had to cut out some unforced errors and mix in my serve and volley. I thought that it was really important that I play solid from the back-court but also pick my moments to move forward and finish at the net. Obviously serving is very important here at altitude and as I found my rhythm I served better and better throughout the match.”
While commending fans for boosting him up after trailing in the first set, he said, “The match was close to over. I was down and out and (fans) wanted to see a little bit more tennis. So they really got behind me and started cheering hard. I used it and it helped me 100 percent.” So, what’s next?
Well, he will now go up against this year’s Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik. The latter is coming off his first round win over American Ethan Quinn on Friday. So far, the h2h tally is tied at 1-1 between Shelton and Mensik. It will be intriguing to see who comes out on top when they meet in R32 on Sunday. What’s your prediction? Let us know in the comments below.
The post “Taking It Too Serious” – Ben Shelton Reveals How the Crowd Aids in Bringing Out His ‘Best Tennis’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.