New York (AFP) – Ben Shelton’s first Grand Slam final ended in defeat on Sunday, but the 23-year-old American said his four-set loss to Alexander Zverev at the US Open only whetted his appetite for more. “It’s such a cool moment. Walking out on that court today, there’s nothing like it. I’ve never felt anything like that before,” Shelton said. “It’s an addicting feeling being in positions like this.”
Shelton came up short in his bid to become the first American man in 23 years to lift a Grand Slam trophy. But his best-ever run in a major included a stunning five-set win over seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz and a gritty semi-final fightback against Frances Tiafoe. It was a dramatic turnaround from a second-round exit at Roland Garros and an even more disappointing first-round defeat at Wimbledon.
Related news
“Obviously, for me, it sucked the last couple of Grand Slams sitting at home for 10, 11, 12 days while the tournament is still going on, watching everyone else run through the draw,” Shelton said. “It’s motivating. Losing in the final is also motivating, but this is the position I want to be in.”
Shelton enjoyed a quick rise after turning professional in 2022, breaking into the top 20 the following year after reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals, the US Open semi-finals, and bagging his first ATP title in Tokyo. Now he wants to be a consistent contender on the game’s biggest stages, where the best-of-five set format over two weeks against the game’s best is a physical and mental grind.
“I was tired before I took the court today,” he said. “Finals of a Slam, played almost 30 sets, something like that, over the last two weeks. It’s something that I can continue to work to improve, but obviously my first time that I’ve been here in this position, the most tennis that I’ve played in two weeks.”
The big-hitting American also believes he has plenty of room to improve his game. “I don’t think I’m anywhere near the player that I want to be,” he said. “To win on Sundays, you’ve got to play very, very high level of great tennis. Anyone that you’re playing at this stage in the tournament is going to be grooved and playing amazing … just got to be better.”
© 2024 AFP
