BEN SHELTON is reaping the rewards of having Bryan Shelton as both his dad and coach.
The 21-year-old American took the tennis world by storm in 2023 with a stunning first full season as a pro.
And he has already surpassed the achievements of his father.
After a successful college career and winning the US Amateur Championships, Bryan Shelton, 57, spent nine seasons on tour from 1989 to 1997, picking up two singles titles – both at Newport in 1991 and 1992.
He also collected two doubles titles – including one with Pat Rafter against Australian legends Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in Adelaide.
And Shelton Sr came within one win of landing a Grand Slam, losing in the 1992 French Open mixed doubles final with Lori McNeil.
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On the singles front, his best result at a major came at Wimbledon 1994 when, as a qualifier, he stunned No2 seed Michael Stich in round one before falling in the fourth round to Swede Christian Bergstrom.
The industrial engineering graduate called it a day in 1997 with £973,000 in prize money and a career-high ranking of No55.
He immediately stepped into a successful coaching career, working with former Wimbledon finalist MaliVai Washington.
Bryan and fellow former tennis star Lisa Witsken Shelton welcomed son Ben in October 2002, five years before Shelton Sr led his former uni – the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – to the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship title for the first time.
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Then in 2021, he became the first coach to win the NCAA National Championship for men and women when his University of Florida Gators team – including son Ben – won the 2021 title.
However, he stepped down from the role with the Gators in June 2023 to become Ben’s full-time coach.
Florida-born Shelton Jr, whose late uncle Todd Witsken was also a pro tennis player and tragically died aged 34, enjoyed success as a junior by being crowned the USTA Junior Champion in 2016 – after giving up on his childhood dream to be an NFL quarterback.
His dad prevented him from joining the ITF circuit as a teenager, asking him: “Why do you need to travel abroad when you're not the best [player in the US]?”
Ben therefore stayed put in the USA and added the NCAA singles title a year after the 2021 team success, while his sister Emma also starred for the Florida Gators.
Shelton made an immediate impact on the ATP Tour by beating world No5 Casper Ruud at the Cincinnati Masters.
And in August 2022, then still only 19, he made the call to turn professional and forego his collegiate status, opting to complete his finance degree online.
He picked up three Challenger titles in a row at the back end of 2022, the first two coming against part-time doubles partner Christopher Eubanks, and he made his Grand Slam debut at the 2022 US Open as a wildcard.
But his strong end to the year earned him his spot in the Australian Open 2023 main draw on merit – although Shelton needed to get a passport for the trip Down Under because he had never previously left America.
But there were no troubles with homesickness as he stormed to the quarter-finals, propelling him into the Top 50.
Roger Federer knows a thing or two about tennis and decided to snap up the youngster to his Team8 management company and deck him out in On clothing.
It proved an inspired call because – after a tough run on the ATP Tour through the bulk of 2023 – Shelton stunned at the 2023 US Open by reaching the semi-finals, thanks in part to two serves clocked at a staggering 149mph.
Shelton eventually lost to champion Novak Djokovic, prompting the Serb to mimic the American’s ‘put the phone down’ celebration.
He also teamed up with compatriot Taylor Townsend in the mixed, again making it to the final four.
The unseeded 6ft 4in lefty – who often hurls an American football around at tournaments – powered his way to a first ATP Tour title at the Japan Open in October and a new best world ranking of No15.
And that saw him finish his first full year on tour with a whopping £2.23m in the bank already – more than double the amount Bryan managed in his entire career.
Many are tipping Shelton to challenge at the very top of tennis for years to come – competing with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner at the latter end of Grand Slams.
He is also a big draw for the American audience with his big game and even bigger, engaging personality.
And with dad, coach and mentor Bryan by his side, the youngster has the perfect role model to help him along the way.
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