Ben Shelton winning Houston significant in more ways than one with rare feat achieved

Following his title win at last week's U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, American tennis star Ben Shelton has more to be pleased about as he continues to etch his name in the record books. The Atlanta native faced compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the final, with both men making history as the first African-American players to contest an ATP final. With Shelton prevailing, the 21-year old achieved another milestone as he became the top-ranked American for this first time in his career, rising to World No.14.

With his father and coach, Bryan Shelton, being a former ATP professional, the younger Shelton unlocked another achievement that he now shares with his dad. Both men have now won multiple titles on the ATP Tour, with Ben previously prevailing in Tokyo last year. He now ties his father with two ATP singles titles, as Bryan won both of his ATP singles titles in Newport, claiming back-to-back titles at the tournament in 1991 and 1992.

The only other father and son who have both won multiple singles titles on the ATP Tour are Phil and Taylor Dent, with the latter – like the Shelton's – representing the US. Taylor won four titles during his ATP career, whereas his father, Phil, won three ATP singles titles. However, the list could feature another father-son duo, as American Sebastian Korda could join his father Petr Korda, in winning multiple titles on tour. Petr is a 10-time ATP singles titlist, whereas Sebastian has one title to his name, as he won the Emilia-Romagna Open in 2021.