"I know it was only four months ago, but it was just a small bump in the road" - Shelton over prior injury woes to get back to winning ways in Grand Slam events

Ben Shelton was quick to move on from his prior Grand Slam woes to kick off his Australian Open campaign with a respectable 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-6(5) triumph over Ugo Humbert.

It was not a draw either player would have wanted, with Shelton the world number seven and Humbert a former top 20 player who had reached the Adelaide International final days before traversing to Melbourne Park.

Shelton proved to have the quality on the day to fend off the skilled Frenchman, with his serving coming in clutch. Aside from Humbert having a chance to serve out the second set, the 23-year-old had the match relatively under control and was able to take his chances when they cropped up.

"I’m really happy. I felt like this was a great start for me," he began in his press conference. "I feel like I’m finding my form pretty quickly here. It was a tough matchup — someone who hits the ball really hard and really flat. The ball stays low, you don’t have much time, and he’s a great returner. So it was tricky, and I’m happy I got out of it in three sets."

In Shelton's most recent major contest at the US Open, he left Flushing Meadows distraught after a hugely disappointing retirement against Adrian Mannarino just ahead of the match going into a fifth set. However, the tables have turned and now the American is back in the winning enclosure.

"It’s great. Slams are my favourite tournaments — I’m always going to show up and be excited to play them," he stated. "It feels like years ago that happened. I know it was only four months ago, but it was just a small bump in the road. I’m really excited to be here in Australia. It’s one of my favourite tournaments, and I feel good about the way I’m playing."

Whilst there were concerns about the shoulder injury which he got from that event, Shelton was not stressing over it too much. "Not really. I had my initial ultrasound before I went into the press room, so I knew structurally my shoulder looked good. Being out for a month — there are a lot worse things. I have a really good team, so I was confident I could get back. I was more worried when I got back on court and started hitting forehands and seeing how it felt. That part was more nerve-wracking."

In his 14 Grand Slam appearances, including this one, Shelton has been dumped out at the opening stage in two of them, coming in his first and third major appearance. From Wimbledon 2023, he has always grabbed at least one victory in a very impressive and consistent record. "I think you’re right," Shelton commented, who went on to state how important Humbert is on this occasion.

"Based on how he was playing and what he did last week, he was probably one of the toughest unseeded players in the draw — one of a handful, for sure. Knowing that going in is almost good for me because I know I have to bring it. It feels like a big match right out of the gate. Some of the traps you can set for yourself — thinking a first-round Slam match will be easy — are just out of the way. Did I think I’d win in three sets? No, I was prepared for more. But once I got out there and saw how I was serving, moving, and how comfortable I felt, it gave me a lot of confidence."

It is normally awkward to play against a left-handed tennis player, and that is the same for Shelton despite also being left-handed. Yeah, it’s interesting. Usually, when a lefty hits backhand to my backhand — like Ugo Humbert, Cameron Norrie, or Adrian Mannarino — the ball stays super low. It feels like it’s at my knees, so I end up slicing a lot more on that side."

Despite this, there were some aspects which heavily suited his style of play. "At the same time, balls to my forehand sit a little higher, which I really like," he said. "It gives me the chance to be more offensive on that side."

As well as that, his serve would also benefit from this type of opponent. "I also prefer serving against lefties. My kick serve to their backhand is tough for them, which is the only time I ever think, “I wish I were right-handed,” so I could hit that serve to a righty’s backhand. On return, a lot of lefties stand way out wide and hit sharp angles — especially on Rod Laver Arena — so you have to adjust your position. That’s probably the biggest difference."