Promising American Ben Shelton, 19, revealed that growing up he looked up to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Shelton is one of the most promising American talents as this summer he has reached two Challenger finals, as well as the Cincinnati Masters last-16.
Growing up, Shelton looked up to Federer in many ways as he felt the Swiss was the perfect example of how one should behave on and off the court.
“I definitely looked up to Federer. Nadal is the clear choice because I’m a lefty, as well. I liked kind of the classiness of Fed, the aura around him and the way he carries himself on court in victory and defeat,” Shelton said, per Sportskeeda. “He was kind of like a good role model on the court, off the court, how he handled the press, just a class act. I definitely enjoyed watching him play tennis growing up.”
Shelton on upsetting Casper Ruud
After stunning Lorenzo Sonego in the Cincinnati first round, Shelton claimed a shock 6-3 6-3 win over fifth-ranked Ruud in his following match.
Shelton admitted he was a bit nervous at the start of the match because he was playing a top-5 player, but give his best not to show it.
“I think you’ve got to fake it till you make it, right? If I’m not feeling completely comfortable at the beginning, I’m going to do my best to show that I am until I find myself in a place where I am settled in. Once I got into the second set today, I wasn’t hardly even thinking about it. I was just trying to play my game and execute my game plan. I’m finding it an easier time the more I’m in these situations, getting my heart rate down and feeling more calm on the court,” Shelton reflected.
Shelton is currently the 229th-ranked player in the world and he is set to break into the top-200 next Monday.
Shelton is still listed in college as he hasn’t yet turned pro