"Left the country for the first time in his life this year": Only way is up for Ben Shelton believes Andy Roddick as ATP Finals prediction made

Rising tennis star Ben Shelton has had the best season of his young career this year, and former World No.1 Andy Roddick believes the American will qualify for the 2023 ATP Finals.

The 21-year old won his maiden ATP title this season, in addition reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal and breaking into the Top 20 rankings, falling just shy of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin.

Speaking on a segment on The Tennis Channel, Roddick pick Shelton as the most likely to make the year-ending event next year out of all the prospective American talent.

"Personally, if I had to choose one, I think I would go with Ben Shelton," said Roddick. "The guy's currently 17 in the world has made runs at Slams already and all the while he still figuring out, how to play, tennis like, he left the country this year, for the first time in his life, like it's only gonna go up. He's gonna break serve a little bit more, even figure out how to hold serve a little bit more, how to pitch a little bit of a better ball game."

Furthermore, Roddick heaped praise on Shelton's post US Open run, where the Atlanta native lifted his first ATP title in Tokyo.

"I love that post US Open, he was consistent back-to-back weeks for the first time found that level of consistency," he added. "It wasn't just a shot, the shot in the arm in Australia, and then kind of take a little bit of time off and not went back to back matches semi-final. He would continue that in Tokyo. So I guess Ben Shelton, but listen, they told us to pick one. I wish I could pick them all."