Ben Shelton made a stellar debut at the Laver Cup over the weekend as he and Frances Tiafoe clinched the trophy for Team World in the final doubles match of the tournament. It was another achievement in the 20-year-old’s breakthrough season. With Shelton making waves on the tennis tour, Roger Federer’s private opinion of the rising star has been shared by Jim Courier, who thought that the Swiss star had a fitting description of the American.
Shelton won all three of his matches at his maiden Laver Cup this year, including the tie that allowed Team World to retain the victory. Along with Tiafoe, the pair defeated Team Europe’s Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(4) 7-6(5) to end the weekend with a 13-2 final points tally.
The youngster came into the Laver Cup fresh off the back of making his first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open and reaching a career-high ranking of No 19. Shelton has already become known for his energy, his big serves and his trademark phone celebration. And he has now learned exactly what Federer thinks of him.
Federer retired from professional tennis just as Shelton was making the transition onto the tour from college. With the American now playing his first full season, the 20-time Major winner seems impressed. “I was talking to Roger Federer earlier today about Ben and he described him as an uncut diamond,” Jim Courier revealed straight after Shelton and Tiafoe’s victory.
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And Courier thought the former world No 1 hit the nail on the head with his assessment of the rising star. He continued: “And I think that’s a perfect description. There’s so much ability that’s on display but it’s going to get polished, it’s going to get better.”
The retired tennis star-turned-analyst thought that Shelton had a lot to work with in his game over the coming years, adding: “I think there’s a two-year process for Ben Shelton ahead of him to really hone his game and learn what the best version of Ben Shelton tennis is. The serve is going to carry him a long way, it is a handful.”
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It seems that Federer agrees when it comes to Shelton’s talent and potential after branding the 20-year-old an “uncut diamond”. The pair had already spent some time together ahead of the US Open for an On event, as Federer holds shares in the sportswear company and the world No 19 has been sponsored by On since March.
As for the man himself, Shelton was full of gratitude after being called up for Team World in his first Laver Cup. “I really enjoyed this weekend and being able to be chosen for this team. It’s been a dream. To be able to put points on the board for Team World, it’s something that I couldn’t have imagined,” he said after World’s champagne celebrations.
“I really appreciate both the captains for putting their trust in me, and being able to get it done at the end of the week is a great feeling.”
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