The Australian Open is heating up as we enter the game of titans! With just four players left in the competition, the tournament has delivered its fair share of jaw-dropping moments and breakout stars. One name making waves? None other than Ben Shelton, who has stormed his way into the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time—and it’s only his second Grand Slam semi-final ever. Talk about a meteoric rise! Shelton’s electrifying performances have the tennis world buzzing, and everyone is hopping on the hype train. The latest to join the fray? None other than the former pro-Mardy Fish.

The American tennis sensation pulled out some great victories against players who were either more experienced or ranked higher than him. This includes the likes of Lorenzo Musetti, Gael Monfils, and Lorenzo Sonego. In his latest match against Sonego, Shelton fired a total of nine aces before eventually closing the match in four sets, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. This performance seems to have mesmerized Fish who is all praises for the young talent. 

Taking to his X, Fish lauded Shelton’s skills and wrote, “Ben Shelton is an absolute dawg. Monster game. Shows up on the biggest stages. I think he wins multiple slams. #Fishytennisthoughts.” These remarks are indeed interesting given they come at a time when many in the American tennis community are looking up to Taylor Fritz to fulfill their hope of winning a Grand Slam, which has evaded American male players since Andy Roddick’s victory in 2003. Fritz too, has depicted remarkable progress by reaching the finals of the US Open and the WTA Finals last year. 

However, with Fritz out of the race from the ongoing tournament, it appears that Fish is extending his support for Ben Shelton to return with a Grand Slam. This, however, is not the first time when such sentiments have taken center stage related to the young gun. 

In an episode of Good Trouble With Nick Kyrgios in July last year, John McEnroe was quizzed on his prediction about the new Big Three. In his response, McEnroe took Sinner and Alcaraz’s name adding that the third spot will likely be filled by Shelton. “It’d be Ben Shelton. He made some great advancements and for us in America would be huge,” he said. As far as his ongoing campaign is concerned, Shelton will be facing Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals. Notably, Shelton has won only one match against the Italian dynamo in five of their encounters, which poses a serious challenge for him. But guess what? Shelton seems to have some plan ready to take on the World No. 1.

Ben Shelton opens up on his plans against Jannik Sinner

When it comes to a Grand Slam encounter, Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner have played only once at Wimbledon last year. The Italian prevailed in the fourth round in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 proving his dominance. But Shelton will definitely wish to avenge the defeat and will be entering the courts with renewed energy and plans.

Speaking about his performance against Sonego, Shelton admitted that he could have served well, and wishes to do better against Sinner. “You wanna keep the first-serve percentage high, no matter what,” Shelton told ESPN’s Kris Budden. “So for me, I gotta go for a little bit less, hit different types of serves. I hit a lot of serves in the net today, so hitting more kickers, balls out of the zone,” he added. Continuing further, he emphasized a skill that he has been learning for quite some time. 

“I think adapting on the fly is such an important quality of a great tennis player, and something that I’m learning to do better and better,” Shelton remarked. With the stakes being high, the challenges ahead of Shelton are not easy. Will he keep his dream run alive? Well, only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: whether he lifts the trophy or not, the tennis world can’t get enough of him.