John McEnroe has made a bold prediction about Ben Shelton’s future after watching him lose to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open.
It was an inspired performance from the American, who pushed the four-time Grand Slam champion hard throughout.
However, after losing the first set on a tiebreaker where he had set points, and then losing the second set from just a sole break, he would have reason to feel frustrated.
The fact of the matter is that Carlos Alcaraz was just too good, and he once again raised his level to overpower a top opponent.
McEnroe, though, remained optimistic for Shelton.
John McEnroe makes bold Ben Shelton prediction
Speaking live on TNT Sports, the American tennis legend was uncompromising in his bias towards his compatriot.
Willing Shelton on despite the unrelenting opponent he faced, McEnroe could not help but find moments to praise the 23-year-old, who fell to a straight-sets defeat.
After all, he admittedly did perform admirably, and arguably should have won the first set given how he started the tiebreaker.
Having watched that, McEnroe felt incensed to state: ‘He made the third round last year here [at the French Open]. He’s past that career high even if he weren’t to win this.
‘He certainly, and I believe soon will be in the top ten in the world.’
Such a showing from the second seed explains why Andy Roddick has backed Carlos Alcaraz to win Roland Garros.
Bryan Shelton gives John McEnroe’s advice to Ben Shelton
In a funny mid-match moment, McEnroe actually got the chance to speak to Bryan Shelton, father and coach of Ben.
‘All you need to do is tell him to keep it up,’ he suggested, before Bryan shouted that exact same encouragement to his son. This brought about laughter in the TNT studio, before Bryan then explained his coaching technique: Yeah, he’s an emotional kid. If you give him too much he’ll get agitated. You just have to be patient, I want him to be patient and composed. Well, I’ve got to model that.’
It took Shelton until mid-way through the third set for Shelton to finally convert one of his many break points and take a commanding lead in any set, resulting in him taking the third.
This brief glimpse of the trouble he could cause his opponent is just one of the many factors why McEnroe remained so optimistic throughout a match that always looked like it’d be won by the world number two.
Shelton, historically, has struggled when facing the absolute elite opposition on big stages. Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner have brushed him aside whenever drawn against him at Grand Slams.
But, against the latter, he had set points in their opening set in Australia, and again today he pushed Alcaraz hard throughout, even snagging the third set too against the odds.
He has a unique and really difficult game that would trouble anyone on tour, and should he hone a few of his minor weaknesses, he could soon join Sinner and the Spaniard at the apex of the sport.
