“I’ve taken a few things from Nadal because he’s left-handed, but I try to work with my assets and be unique” – Shelton

The 21-year-old says he is ready to put in the hard work in order to achieve his goals

Ben Shelton

December 23, 2023

American Ben Shelton has been making the right kind of noises in his first full year on the pro tour – breaking into the world’s top 20 and reahcing the semi-finals of the US Open. The left-hander has a forehand and competitive zeal that rivals some of the game’s best, earning him comparisons to another left-hander, the great Rafael Nadal.

In a new interview to the On Running website, Shelton says while he has taken a few things from the 22-time Grand Slam champion, he is trying to become his own unique player.

“I try to be unique with my playing style and do things other players aren’t. I’ve taken a few things from Nadal because he’s left-handed, but I try to work with my assets and be unique.”

“Roger Federer is one of those guys who can do it all” – Shelton

Ben Shelton US Open 2023 — Chryslene Caillaud / Panoramic

The American also admits he is inspired by Nadal’s rival and long-time friend Roger Federer, whose agency manages Shelton.

“I get style inspiration from different people, other athletes, and Instagram,” the 21-year-old said. “Roger (Federer) is one of those guys who can do it all. He can do it on the court, he can do it off the court, he can do it at the Met Gala, he can do it at Wimbledon.”

Shelton, who had never travelled outside of the United States for a tournament until January 2023, says he has a growth mindset and is ready to put in the hard work now.

“I’m not a superstitious ritual guy. My warm-ups vary. I eat different things. I do like to listen to aggressive hip-hop to hype myself up before I go on court, but it just comes down to hard work. Hard work is not something that I’m just ‘whatever’ about. When it’s time for me to really put in work, I’m fine being the first guy to show up to the facility or the last guy to leave. I’m trying to have a growth mindset. I’m competitive and I want to win but I have to remind myself that I’m nowhere near where I want to be with some things. It seems realistic to still be figuring it out at the age of 20. Hopefully I have a long career ahead of me and time to fine-tune my style.”