Ben Shelton has won eight consecutive matches on the ATP Tour.
The 22-year-old American recently captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open, winning six matches in the process.
At the Cincinnati Open he has continued to impress, winning his first two rounds relatively comfortably.
Shelton made his second appearance at the Cincinnati Open in 2023, losing to fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.
Ahead of the tournament, Shelton discussed the relationship with father and coach Bryan Shelton, describing the ‘difficult part’ about their collaboration.
Ben Shelton discussed the difficult part of having his dad as a coach in college
Shelton was beginning to make his mark on the ATP Tour in 2023; showing frequent signs of the unlimited talent he possesses.
Ahead of the 2023 Cincinnati Open, Shelton discussed the relationship with his father, Bryan Shelton.
Bryan coached Ben during his time as the head coach of the University of Florida’s men’s tennis team. In 2023, he left the role to coach his son full-time.
Speaking to the Cincinnati Open media team, Ben said of his father: “I think the difficult part of having my dad as a coach was in college, navigating through him coaching 12 guys and one of them being his son and having to make a lineup.
“But now that we’re out on tour I think things have been a lot easier. I wasn’t really ever a top junior or even the top recruit going to college in my class.
“I feel like he’s the one guy who always believed in me, even when maybe others didn’t or didn’t know that I had potential to be a professional tennis player or make it on tour.
“I’m really enjoying it. I love being out here and I love competing. That’s my favourite part about tennis, being able to compete one-on-one against somebody.
“So I still have the same love that I had a year ago, two years ago, always.”
Who is Bryan Shelton?
Ben Shelton’s coach, Bryan Shelton, is an American former professional tennis player who reached a career high of 55 in 1992. He also reached number 52 in doubles.
Shelton, who competed professionally between 1989 and 1997, won two career titles during his career. In 1991, he became the first African-American man to win an ATP Tour singles title since Arthur Ashe in 1978.
After his playing career, Shelton delved into coaching. From 1998 to 1999 he was the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Coach.
Shelton became a Georgia Tech legend during his extensive tenure coaching the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women’s tennis team. Under his guidance, the team won their first NCAA-recognised team championship in 2007. Shelton was also named ACC Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005 and 2007. He was also named as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Coach of the Year for 2007.
Shelton started coaching the University of Florida’s men’s tennis team in 2012, before going on to coach his son, Ben, on a full-time basis from June 2023.
