Ben Shelton is just starting his ATP journey, but Patrick McEnroe sees him as the best American hope to rival Carlos Alcaraz. In 2024, Shelton had a solid year with one final appearance before the Swiss Indoors in Basel, where he previously claimed victory at the Houston Open by defeating Frances Tiafoe.
In Basel, Shelton made an impressive run to the final. He first beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry in a match that saw some umpire controversy. His next triumph was over Stan Wawrinka, followed by an intense three-set win against Andrey Rublev, which hurt Rublev’s chances for the ATP Finals.
Shelton then secured his spot in the final after an exciting match against Arthur Fils . On Sunday, he’ll face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Many believe his dynamic playing style—big serves and powerful shots—could make him America’s next big tennis star.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| us Ben Shelton | 22 | 2,590 | 19 - 11 |
Future Prospects:
Yet, there’s still a long road ahead for Shelton to reach the heights of Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner has already bagged two Grand Slam titles this year: the Australian Open and US Open. Meanwhile, Alcaraz boasts four Grand Slams after winning both Wimbledon and the French Open again this year; he’s also holding onto his No. 2 ranking thanks to Alexander Zverev’s loss in Vienna.
Patrick McEnroe shared on Tennis Channel’s Inside-In podcast why he thinks Shelton could be America’s answer to Alcaraz in future years: “I think Ben Shelton’s got the most upside… Watching him play that match with Alcaraz… it was like tennis from another world.”
Fans might wonder if this young player can truly live up to these expectations.
McEnroe admits Shelton lacks consistency compared to Taylor Fritz or Tommy Paul but believes he has great potential if he can stabilize his game: “He’s certainly got moxie… he may be the American guy with the most upside.”
“He’s not as consistent at present as Fritz or Tommy Paul,” McEnroe noted but added optimistically, “The good news is we’ve got four or five guys who should stay competitive for years.”
What do you think about Ben’s chances?