Ben Shelton opens up on how he disliked tennis despite persistent pressure from his parents to play the sport 

Ben Shelton turned pro in 2022.

Ben Shelton opens up on how he disliked tennis despite persistent pressure from his parents to play the sport 

Ben Shelton and his father (Image via MynewsGh)

American teen tennis sensation Ben Shelton who rose to fame with his performance at the recently concluded 2023 US Open has revealed that he was not into playing tennis right from the start. The 20-year-old who is being touted as the next big thing in American tennis has said that he wanted to play other sports but his parents indirectly pressured him to pick up the racket. 

Shelton narrated an anecdote from his childhood days and revealed how the first thing he was given by his parents was a tennis racket. Shelton then talked about his moment of realization that he wants to be a professional tennis player. 

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“I think my first memory is being a really young kid and my parents started me out with a tennis racket and a balloon to practice tennis for the first time. I didn’t love tennis at the start and I didn’t want to be a part of it, I just wanted to play other sports. But I got back to it. I think the moment I realized that I wanted to a be a tennis player is probably the first professional match I won in Illinois,” said Shelton on the ATP tennis podcast. 

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It is worth mentioning that Ben Shelton turned pro in 2022 and he won the title in Illinois, beating Aleksandr Vukic. The win in Champaign was Shelton’s third Challenger tour title on the trot as he had also won the titles in Tennessee and Vancouver, beating Christopher Eubanks in both finals. 

Also Read: Leylah Fernandez hoping to return to the top level alongside Emma Raducanu following the poor results the two US Open finalists have seen

Tennis runs in Ben Shelton’s family

Ben Shelton being pressured to play tennis should not come as a surprise to fans as the sport runs in the Shelton family. Ben’s dad and coach, Bryan Shelton played at the top level for over eight years. After retirement, he turned into a coach. Bryan coached the men’s tennis team at the University of Florida, the same place Ben Shelton played before turning pro. 

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Ben Shelton with his family (Image via USTA X)

Ben Shelton’s mother, Lisa Shelton also played tennis, not at the same level as her husband though. Nevertheless, she was a good player in the junior circuit. Lisa is also the sister of the former world No. 4 doubles and No. 43 singles player Todd Witsken.

Meanwhile, Shelton’s only sister, who is two years older than him, Emma Shelton also plays tennis. She plays for the Florida Gators and has won several titles at that level.

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