Ben Shelton on U.S. Open Run, Alcaraz Epic and Australian Open Goals
Ben Shelton is coming off the greatest tournament run of his young tennis career.
The 23-year-old made a surprise run to the U.S. Open final after defeating Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe, before falling to Alexander Zverev in the final. It marked Shelton’s deepest run in a major tournament while also leading to some of his greatest wins along the way.
Shelton took the time to sit down for a one-on-one interview to talk about his recent U.S. Open run along with his thoughts on Alcaraz and Zverev, his objectives moving forward, the Australian Open and his partnership with Thorne.
Q: Talk about your partnership with Thorne.
Shelton: Thorne is the most elite brand when it comes to sports nutrition supplements. I think that even for people who aren’t professional athletes, being able to feel good when you exercise, it creates such a more healthy lifestyle. I think for me, the supplements have been big for my mental clarity as much as my physical health.
I think that’s overlooked sometimes by your nonprofessional athlete, but also professional athletes as well. And I think that it can make such a big difference in quality of life.
Q: Obviously, we all know your name because of the U.S. Open run. That was a heck of a run. You came close to winning the final. Talk about that run. Obviously, you got on a hot streak. You beat some notable names: Alcaraz, Tiafoe. What led to that kind of run?
Shelton: This is a swing of tournaments. This North American swing that I always play well in. I’ve been in the semis of the U.S. Open before, and I always play well the prior weeks in Canada and in Cincinnati. So winning Montreal two or three weeks before the U.S. Open this year, I came in confident. I came in playing really well, and I knew that aside from just the tennis ability that I was fit.
I’m really fit right now. I feel my fitness levels are in a really good place, probably the best that they’ve ever been. And honestly, with our sport and the format of five sets and having to be able to play for four and a half hours, that gives me almost more confidence than how well I’m playing. If I know that I can go the distance, I think it was kind of a perfect storm for me. It all came together at the right time.
Q: Were you surprised at all by that run? I mean, if you ask anybody that, they’re going to be like, “No, I wasn’t.” But I mean, it was a pretty historic run. Alcaraz, that’s a notable guy that you beat. What were your overall thoughts on that run?
Shelton: Well, for me, I felt ready. I felt prepared. I felt in form. I was trying not to put any expectations on myself because that can be a trap that I fall in the tournaments that I want to do well. So I was trying to just stay focused. I had tunnel vision this year when I was playing there, it’s a crazy city that we’re playing in New York City. There’s a lot of distractions, but I was able to kind of drown out the noise, and I believed the whole time that I was going to go all the way. Obviously I came up short in the final, but I think that I’m one step closer to being where I want to be.
Q: Obviously, this is a big thing, and this added a little bit more pressure to your run, becoming the first American major winner since Andy Roddick in 2003. Was that kind of weighing on your mind? And then, obviously, moving forward, is that something that you would like to accomplish in the near future?
Shelton: Yeah, 100% something I want to accomplish. Not something that I’m thinking about genuinely, unless I get asked about it. I think for me, on my own journey, on my own path, moving at my own timeline, and I think that 100% I want to be competing for these Grand Slams. But at the same time, that drought or record is not something that’s weighing on me at all.
Q: During this run, obviously your dad’s there, your girlfriend’s there. Your dad was a tennis player, your girlfriend’s a pro soccer player. What were they saying to you? What was the advice that they were giving to you during this run?
Shelton: No, I think in any big tournament where you’re under the spotlight, it’s all about recovering, staying focused, trying to stay in the moment and not let anything external kind of creep in. It was really important for us to keep our group small, keep the distractions away, keep our routines the same, and treat the days that we had matches like any other day.
I think that’s why I was able to stay focused for such a long period of time and play at a high level, compete at a high level for the full two weeks because I was able to lock in.
Q: It’s gotta be a big benefit that your dad was a tennis player. What is the best advice that he’s given to you? Is it simply the zoning out distraction sort of thing? Is there something else that he’s given you advice-wise?
Shelton: I think it’s more about being able to be myself while chasing a goal and competing at the highest level. I think that I have so much fun in the process, not just the results. I love the process of getting better. I love the training blocks. I love working hard, and I think that enjoying that piece of the sport, enjoying the process is probably the biggest thing that has helped me to continue to improve, to not lose confidence or self-belief when I plateau, or at times I feel that I’m not improving or struggling with something.
I think that kind of falling in love with the process has helped a lot, and something that he’s harped on since I was young.
Q: Going back to the Alcaraz match, I watched that entire match. That went on until 3:30 in the morning. Was that the most intense tennis match that you’ve had as a pro?
Shelton: Yeah, definitely the most intense match that I’ve had. Just so many highlight points, so much emotion. Obviously, playing at 3, almost 4 in the morning is not easy. I know that we’re both cooked mentally and physically. I think that being able to bring the level that we brought until that time in the morning is pretty ridiculous.
I was just grateful to be a part of that match. I think it was such a cool moment, a big moment, a great match. For me, I’m lucky that we were on the side of the draw that had two days off in between the quarterfinals and the semifinals. Because if I had to play just a day later after that match, I would have been fraught.
Q: That was the first time you beat him, right? Obviously a huge win, biggest win of your career probably up until that point. Did Alcaraz say anything to you after the match?
Shelton: The guy’s so gracious. He’s exactly what you want in a champion in the sport, and basically we got to that. He was just like, “Dude, you’re an absolute beast.” And I told him the same. I think there’s a lot of respect between us. I have so much respect for him. He’s already one of the greatest ever, and he’s younger than me, which is crazy to think about. I think he’s the most entertaining player that we have. He’s great for our sport. He had that Travis Scott collab fit on. I think there’s so many things to love about the guy. Like I said, an icon in the sport for sure.
Q: Now, talking about the U.S. Open final with Zverev. Obviously a tough matchup, No. 1-ranked player and whatnot. What makes him so difficult to play against? And did he say anything to you after your match?
Shelton: Another great champion in our sport. Another humble winner for sure. I think that he’s got the best serve in tennis right now. He’s 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8, he’s got an absolute rocket, and he’s fit. He’s physical. He plays well from the baseline. He moves ridiculously for being that tall, and he’s fighting for world No. 1 at the end of this year for a reason.
I think that at Grand Slams this year, he’s been the best — two titles, a final and a semifinal out of the four has been a historical year. And for me playing in my first U.S. Open final, I wasn’t perfect out there. I didn’t expect to be perfect. I hope that I’m in that situation many more times in my career and am able to play better in the future.
But I think just being able to be a part of that, get to the podium, which is where I want to be, was exciting for me.
Q: You’re coming off this great U.S. Open run. Your confidence has to be at an all-time high. If I were to ask you, what are your objectives for the near future, maybe by the end of the year or the coming months, what would you say?
Shelton: I want to be in a similar place, but better, leading up to the Australian Open in January. Obviously, I need to finish out this year strong. These last couple months, I’m going to push hard to see where I can finish up, and then have a great month and a half of training in the offseason to get ready for Australia and be this fit and be an even better tennis player than I was at the U.S. Open.
Q: What do you think is the key to finishing out the year strong heading into that Australian Open?
Shelton: I think it’s a lot mental. Obviously, you got a lot of miles on your body, and I’m doing everything in my power to be in a good place physically, fit and healthy at the end of this year. But I think that really buying into the grind and pushing the pedal to the floor, being in a great place mentally to end the year is really important.
Q: Who is a tennis player that you looked up to role model-wise, or who would you compare yourself to as a tennis player? I know your dad is maybe an easy answer, but maybe outside of him.
Shelton: I don’t compare myself to anyone, to be honest. I definitely look up to all the greats in this sport, the Big Three. I think that (Rafael) Nadal is someone for me that I really admire, the way that he went about his business, the way he did things, the competitor that he was. There’s so many things to try to relate to and try to do the way that he did, but I wouldn’t compare myself to him. I think that’s what is special about tennis: Every player is so unique, such a different game style, and you can kind of pave your own way.
Q: Any notable convos with Nadal? Any notable advice that pops up in your head?
Shelton: Yeah, a few things here and there that I’ll keep to myself. But he’s a wise guy for sure.