Ben Shelton might join the ‘Big Three’ on the ATP Tour, says John McEnroe, but it could take a while due to his late start.
The USA has a rich tennis history with legends like Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi. These stars have shaped generations of tennis players and are among the most successful ever.
Sampras once held the record for the most Grand Slam titles until Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic took over. They dominated tennis for over 20 years, winning 66 majors combined and earning the nickname ‘Big Three’. Now that Federer is retired, Nadal is battling injuries, and Djokovic hasn’t won in 2024 yet; people are looking for new stars .
New Stars on the Horizon:
The US hopes to see another top player soon since Taylor Fritz is currently their highest-ranked male at 11th place. On the women’s side, Coco Gauff ranks second behind Iga Swiatek. John McEnroe believes Ben Shelton might be one of those rising stars. He shared this thought on Nick Kyrgios’ podcast ‘Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios’.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 Ben Shelton | 22 | 2,590 | 19 - 11 |
“You look at the level and depth of modern-day tennis,” McEnroe said. “Djokovic is still one of the big players you’d expect to go far in a Slam along with Alcaraz. Who’s next? Who will join them in forming a new ‘Big Three’?”
McEnroe added: “I was hoping it would be Ben Shelton. He’s made great advancements; for us in America, it’d be huge. He wasn’t just focused on tennis at 10 years old; he played American football too. He’s an incredible athlete.”
Fans might think it’s exciting to see who will rise next!
Shelton is currently third among Americans on the ATP Tour rankings at age 21 but may peak later due to his diverse athletic background.
Like Jannik Sinner who started as an alpine skier before switching to tennis later in childhood—achieving great success eventually—Shelton’s journey has been unique too.
“Hopefully he’ll peak later between ages 25 to 35,” McEnroe said about Shelton’s potential future success.
What do you think about Ben Shelton’s chances?
