Ben Shelton attempted basketball and performed admirably.
Ben Shelton engages in basketball (Images via Instagram)
The American tennis prodigy, currently in Dallas for the ATP 250 tournament, visited the Dallas Mavericks Arena and tried his hand at basketball. While Shelton’s talent with a tennis racket is well-known, he also impressed with his basketball skills.
Shelton and [name] enjoyed each other’s company at the Mavericks Arena, engaging in both tennis and basketball. While [name] seemed inexperienced, Ben Shelton showcased his exceptional dribbling and jumping abilities. The 21-year-old made a significant move to score points.
The video clip of [name] and Shelton’s basketball endeavors was shared by Dallas Open on Instagram. Take a look below.
A post shared by Dallas Open (@dalopentennis)
Ben Shelton has made remarkable progress in his professional tennis career. Although he was relatively unknown on the tour a year ago, Shelton has now become a well-known figure. This brings with it certain expectations. His coach predicts that Shelton will become the first American to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick.
The player himself has high expectations, but Shelton does not want to limit his goals. He intends to focus on one thing at a time and evaluate his performance at the end of the season.
Regardless of what is said in the media, someone will always criticize whether the goal was set too high or too low. Therefore, I will keep my result-based goals private between myself and my team.
It is worth noting that Ben Shelton has not had a successful start to the 2024 season. He was eliminated in the first round of the Brisbane International. Shelton then participated in the ASB Classics and appeared to be performing well until he faced Taro Daniel in the semifinals. The American lost to his Japanese counterpart in straight sets.
At the 2024 Australian Open, Ben Shelton was expected to perform strongly based on his performance on hardcourts and his previous quarterfinal appearance at the year’s first Grand Slam. However, the American was only able to advance to the third round before being defeated by Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
Now, the 21-year-old has the opportunity to win his first title of the season in Dallas. As the third seed, Shelton has received a bye in the ATP 250 tournament. It remains to be seen how he will seize this opportunity.