High praise indeed: Ben Shelton compared to former World No.1 Andy Roddick by Rick Macci

Rising American tennis star Ben Shelton was given the ultimate compliment by renown coach Rick Macci, who compared the youngster's game to that of retired compatriot Andy Roddick.

Shelton made his breakthrough at the 2023 US Open, reaching the semifinal before falling to World No.1 Novak Djokovic. Following his title in Houston a few weeks ago, the 21-year old is now the highest-ranked American male player. The Atlanta native saw his ranking rise to a career-high of World No.14.

In an interview with Sportskeeda, Macci revealed he saw some similarities between Shelton and retired American pro Andy Roddick. The former World No.1 was the youngest World No.1 in the Open Era, and won the US Open in 2003. Furthermore, Roddick and Shelton both share similar personalities. Both men are extremely competitive and love playing to the crowd.

"Even though you got Medvedev, you got a lot of guys in there that aren't going anywhere, but Shelton is here to stay," said Macci in response to Shelton challenging for Slams. "He has a big game and he's only getting to get better. He reminds me a little bit of Roddy (Andy Roddick) because he has that feisty attitude."