(Video) “It’s tennis bro, not baseball,” Ben Shelton engages in verbal spat after his shot injured Andrea Vavassori’s ribs in Monte Carlo

Ben Shelton thinks it's normal for tennis players to get big by a ball during matches after Andrea Vavassori's complaints.

(Video) “It’s tennis bro, not baseball,” Ben Shelton engages in verbal spat after his shot injured Andrea Vavassori’s ribs in Monte Carlo

Andrea Vavassori injured his ribs during his Monte Carlo Masters doubles match (Image via X/Qindici Zero, Ben Shelton HQ, Dan Gernez)

Controversy erupted after the third-round doubles match between Ben Shelton and Rohan Bopanna against the pair of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. Vavassori complained to Shelton about a shot that injured him.

Bopanna and Shelton joined hands for doubles for the first time. Shelton mostly plays singles but the Indian veteran has years of experience in doubles and also won the Australian Open doubles last year.

YouTube video

They scheduled the match against Vavassori and Bolelli following their straight-set win against Francisco Cerundolo and Alejandro Tabilo in the round of 32. The Italian pair claimed the first set but the Indo-American players secured the second set through a tie-break, before winning the third, booking a place in the quarterfinals.

During the customary handshake following the match, Vavassori complained to Shelton that he hit him during one of the rallies. Shelton, in response, called him soft. He lifted his shirt and showed how even he has been hit by shots, suggesting that such things happen in tennis.

It’s tennis bro, it’s not a baseball. So soft, so soft, Vamos.

Ben Shelton said

Watch the video here:

Vavassori then took to Instagram and announced that he has suffered a rib injury because of Shelton’s shot. He withdrew from the Barcelona Open, which is scheduled to start on April 14.

Montecarlo Sadly I have to withdraw from Barcelona next week due a rib injury happened at the beginning of yesterday’s match. Exams showed a little infraction so have to stop playing for some days See you in Madrid.

Andrea Vavassori wrote on Instagram

Check out his post here:

The team of Shelton and Bopanna couldn’t progress to the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, Manuel Guinard and Romain Arneodo knocked them out in three sets.

Daniil Medvedev explains why Ben Shelton suffered defeat to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Monte Carlo Masters

Daniil Medvedev hates the clay swing and has always ranted about the conditions. This year was no different as Medvedev, after securing a three-set win against compatriot Karen Khachanov in Monte Carlo, once again declared that he dislikes the clay.

Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

But that was not all. He has also complained about the movement of the balls and considers them the reason behind Ben Shelton‘s three-set defeat to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round.

But let’s say I then looked at the other matches, there was Ben Shelton, who has maybe one of the best serves in the tour and he won three points on his serve in the third set and lost 2-1, having won twice on a break. It’s a cold day, the balls are generally awful, and it’s slow. I kind of ended up winning more points on the return than Karen on the serve.

Daniil Medvedev said at the press conference

The World No.14 and a winner of two ATP titles, has not yet lifted a title this season. He produced his best when he reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, which is lost to eventual winner Jannik Sinner.

The former World No.1, on the other hand, secured a three-set win against Alexandre Muller in the second round but failed to go past eighth seed Alex de Minaur, who knocked the Russian out of the tournament in straight sets. The 29-year-old dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since 2018 due to inconsistent performances.

He is searching for his first title since winning the Italian Open in 2023. The 2021 US Open champion has not yet reached a final this season and produced his best when he progressed to the semifinals of Indian Wells where he lost to Holger Rune.